Playing With Fire
by PerfectStoryLove
Summary: During the summer between her sixth and seventh year, Hermione is abducted by the Death Eaters. She ends up in Malfoy Manor, but soon her life will even be in more danger when she meets a dangerous man who she had believed to have died in her fourth year at Hogwarts... Barty Crouch Jr.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is the first chapter of a new story for Harry Potter. It is more of an introduction, but there is certainly a lot more to come, I promise! Please follow, review, whatever you like, and let me know what you think of this fic!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Xxx -PerfectStoryLove**

* * *

It was a tough last week at home for Hermione. She knew that she had to leave her home and her parents in a week. She also knew that she had to wipe her parents' memories. There was just no other option. If there was, she would have taken it gladly. The only thought that brought her a little consolation was that she would return to her parents as soon as possible and give them back their memories. As soon as Voldemort was destroyed.

Around her parents, Hermione tried to act as normally as possible. But of course they had the feeling that something was wrong with her. And that didn't really contribute to the ambience in the living room. Needing some time for her own, Hermione went back to her own room, just to distract herself from what she had to do in the very near future. It had to be done, destroying the Horcruxes, together with Harry and Ron.

But when she entered her room, she found that someone was already there. Someone with a mask, so she couldn't tell who it was. But Hermione had seen those masks before, and it didn't promise anything good. It was a Death Eater. She quickly looked around, desperately trying to find her wand, and she saw it lying next to her bed, out of reach.

"Stay away from me," Hermione warned, trying to stand her ground, but she did feel nervous. She was unarmed in the presence of one of the helpers of Voldemort. She should never have left her wand behind.

"You will come with me," a gruff voice sounded from beneath the mask, telling Hermione that it was a man.

"They know where I am, you can't take me away from here," Hermione tried, but she knew that it was useless.

" _They_ won't be able to find you, miss," the man sneered, and he took a step closer, grabbing Hermione's arm.

"No! Let me go!" she cried in vain. She would only draw her parents' attention, something she didn't want. She would only bring them in danger.

The next thing she felt, was a strange feeling in her stomach, the feeling of an apparition. For a moment she couldn't breathe, until she suddenly stood in a big hall. When she looked around, she saw that the hall was rather dark and very expensive. The floor was made of marble and there was a prestigious fireplace in the centre. It was no doubt meant to impress important visitors, and there was certainly no doubt that the hall belonged to someone with a lot of money. Hermione didn't need to think for long about who could possibly own an expensive manor like this, because she recognised the voice of a second man who had entered the hall immediately.

"Thank you, Nott. The Dark Lord will be most pleased," the silky voice of Lucius Malfoy sounded.

"You…" Hermione said angrily. "Why am I here?"

Lucius sneered at that. "I am surprised you haven't figured that out yet. I was always under the impression that you were one of the brightest witches of your age."

"How am I supposed to figure out why I am here?" Hermione retorted.

"Thank you, Nott, you may leave," Lucius said coldly before explaining anything to Hermione. "You don't seem to be nervous at all…"

"Why would I be? If Voldemort wanted me dead then that Death Eater would already have killed me. I don't fear you, if that is what you think."

"My, my, a true Gryffindor, aren't you?" Lucius sneered.

"Why am I here?" Hermione tried again.

"Because, you silly girl, the Dark Lord wants you to stay here. With us. So that we can keep an eye on you. We know about you, we know that you are part of the so-called 'Golden Trio'. And we also know that both Potter and Weasley are nothing without you. And trust me, we keep a close eye on the rest of your… people. The _Order_ , it is called, I believe. With a bit of luck, Potter will even come and look for you, reckless as he is," Lucius said calmly.

"How do you know all this?" Hermione questioned, her eyes narrowing.

"We have our sources. And we have allies. We literally control everything in the Wizarding World. We have the ministry, and we have Hogwarts. And now that we have you, Potter is harmless as well," Lucius smiled.

"And why is Voldemort himself not here now then?"

"He has better things to do. Why would he pay attention to a Mudblood?" Lucius snorted. "WORMTAIL!"

A little rat-like man entered the room, whom Hermione knew as Peter Pettigrew. The disgusting traitor who was the reason why this all had started. He had made sure that Voldemort returned. He had made sure that Sirius had to live the rest of his short life imprisoned in his own house. He had betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort. He was practically the reason for the scar on Harry's forehead. Hermione shot the man a dirty look, and she only received a nervous glance in return.

"Yes, sir?" Wormtail asked obsequiously.

"Show the girl her room."

"Yes, sir," the little man replied with a small bow. "Follow me, Miss Granger."

Hermione knew that she had no other choice but to follow the traitor to the stairs, but not before she gave Lucius one last dirty look. How dare they take her away from her home. Suddenly a disturbing thought came into her mind. Did they know what she, Harry and Ron had been planning to do? Did Voldemort know about their plan to destroy the Horcruxes? Was that why she was being kept here from now on? Because if that was true, then the Wizarding World, and probably also the rest of the world, was doomed. The Horcruxes would be protected better than ever and Hermione wasn't there to warn Harry and Ron. Besides, her friends didn't even know where she was. They would be worried when they found out she had disappeared.

"We're here," Wormtail announced as he opened the door to her room.

Hermione took a look inside the room. It was not very big, but it seemed to be comfortable enough. The more luxury guestrooms were probably already occupied by other Death Eaters.

"I will bring you breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is a bathroom attached to your bedroom. You are not to leave this room and you will stay quiet. Your dinner tonight will be later, because I have guests to look after," Wormtail said as if he had rehearsed it. "Your room will be locked, so don't think about escaping."

Hermione just glared at the balding, rat-like man. "You should be ashamed of yourself. You betrayed your friends! Do you really think you are welcome with the Death Eaters? They only keep you because they can use you. They are not your friends!"

"The Dark Lord has granted me a chance, he appreciates me," Wormtail said, but there was a glint of fear in his eyes. Hermione knew that he was just scared. The man was only serving Voldemort out of fear.

"You are pathetic," Hermione spat disgusted. "What kind of _guests_ are you receiving tonight?"

"I- I am not sure if I can tell…"

"Oh, come on. It is not as if I am going anywhere. I just want to know who else is in this house," Hermione encouraged him.

"Well… the Dark Lord himself will come. With all his trusted Death Eaters."

"Right. Wait!" Hermione called when Wormtail wanted to leave. "What the papers said… last week… you have Mr. Ollivander captured here, haven't you?"

A smirk appeared on the man's face. "We have… Together with a goblin and someone called Dean Thomas… You might even know him, he was a Gryffindor, you know? He and the goblin were caught by Greyback and his team. And soon they will be joined by the daughter of Xenophilius Lovegood. You might know her as well…"

"Luna? Luna Lovegood? Why?" Hermione asked shocked.

"Because Mr. Lovegood supports Potter. And the Dark Lord wants to punish him for that," Wormtail answered. "Now, I must go."

With that, Wormtail closed the door behind him and locked it, leaving Hermione alone with her own thoughts. So Ollivander was somewhere in the same house, together with Dean and a goblin. And Luna was going to be captured too in the very near future. Hermione now had this information, but she couldn't possibly tell the Order about it. She had no wand, no owl, she only had the small room in Malfoy Manor. But if there were guests tonight, including Voldemort himself, then that must mean that something important would be discussed.

One thing was for sure, Hermione was not going to sit in her room to wait for her dinner. She had to know what the Death Eaters were up to. Maybe, if she was difficult enough, she would be released and she could go back to the Order. Now that she was in the headquarters of the dark side, all she could do was to make the best out of it. She had to use her time well.

She took out one of her hairclips and started working on the lock. Wormtail had been stupid enough to just lock the door instead of casting a spell over it. Apparently he had forgotten that Hermione grew up with Muggles. She knew how to open a door without a wand. Wormtail had also been an idiot for telling her that her dinner would be late. That meant that she had plenty of time before someone would go looking for her.


	2. Chapter 2

Within five minutes, Hermione had opened the door of her room and she looked around the corridor to see if anyone was there. She saw that the coast was clear, and she closed the door carefully behind her. There was no need to raise suspicion for when someone happened to pass her room. She quickly went down the stairs and when she heard voices coming from the hall, she hid behind one of the cabinets under the stairs.

"How many chairs do you think I will be needing?" she heard Wormtail asking.

"Let's see…" a female voice sounded which Hermione recognised as the voice of Narcissa Malfoy.

"Obviously one at the head for the Dark Lord himself… Then we have Rosier, Dolohov, Nott, Mulciber, Yaxley, Rowle, the Carrows, Crabbe, Goyle… Lucius and I of course… Draco…"

Hermione's eyes widened when she heard Draco's name. Of course she knew he was now part of the Death Eaters, but it was still difficult to visualise him between all those Death Eaters. To her, he was still just a guy she knew from school. Not a pleasant guy, but she never thought of him as evil.

"Greyback will be here as well, please don't place his chair anywhere near me," Narcissa continued.

So they even had their own chairs? Hermione knew Greyback only from stories, but the thought of him sent shivers through her spine. That man, or rather, that werewolf has bitten innocent children just for fun. While hadn't even been full moon.

"Bella will be here, naturally. You can place her next to Severus. Severus will be sitting next to the Dark Lord."

The thought of Snape also made Hermione angry. Dumbledore had trusted that man, and he had just killed him. All that time he had been spying for the dark side, all that time he was with the Order.

"Who will sit next to the Dark Lord on the other side? Lucius?" Wormtail asked.

"No, not Lucius. Barty, of course. I thought you knew that already. Lucius will be next to Barty."

The name Barty reminded Hermione of someone, but she couldn't quite place the name. She was certain that she had heard the name somewhere before. It took her a while to figure out where she knew him from. And then the penny dropped. She knew only one Barty, and that was Barty Crouch, the ministry official who had died in her fourth year. But there was no way that Narcissa meant that Barty. Then she thought of another Barty, Crouch's son. He was a Death Eater. But then Hermione remembered that he too had died in her fourth year, after he had been caught by Dumbledore.

"I thought that boy was taking care of the minister?" Wormtail said confused.

"You know very well that the Dark Lord is personally taking care of the minister. And if I were you, I wouldn't call him a boy in his presence," Narcissa hissed in a much quieter tone. "Remember your place here, Wormtail."

"Alright… alright."

"So? Have you been counting? I don't want to find out that we haven't got enough chairs tonight because you haven't been paying attention."

"Yes, yes of course, Mrs. Malfoy. You have mentioned 18 names, including the Dark Lord himself. So then I will need 19 chairs."

"You know very well that you are not allowed to sit at the table. 18 chairs," Narcissa hissed.

"Of course," Wormtail mumbled and his footsteps faded away.

Hermione waited for Narcissa to leave as well, but she didn't. Apparently she had been waiting for her husband in the hall, because she could hear Lucius's voice as well now.

"Does Wormtail know what to do?"

"He does. Is that Granger girl already here?" Narcissa asked.

"Yes. I am sure the Dark Lord would love to hear the good news. He won't arrive through the hall, by the way. He shall apparate in the dining room when everyone else has arrived."

"What? I thought apparition was impossible here?"

"Not for the Dark Lord."

"Of course not. Are you going to wait here with me to welcome our guests?"

"I think they expect me to wait here for them, seeing that this is my house. If you don't want to stay here to welcome them then you can leave. I can understand if you would rather leave," Lucius told his wife.

"No, no, I'll stay with you."

The two continued chatting with each other which annoyed Hermione endless. She couldn't get past them without being seen. She couldn't even move or she would be seen by someone. So she was forced to stay at her place and hear how all the Death Eaters arrived. She knew exactly who had to come, so she also knew exactly how many had to come. Most Death Eaters didn't say anything but a simple 'hello'. In the tenth person that arrived at the Manor, Hermione could hear her former Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, professor Snape.

"Good evening, Severus," Narcissa greeted in a fake happy manner.

"Severus," Lucius said curtly. "How has your day been? Have you found out anything yet? About the… you know what?"

'If you are talking about the date Potter will be transferred, then no. I have no information on that matter. Yet," Snape answered coldly.

Hermione made fists of her hands to stop herself from swearing at Snape. Why did Dumbledore ever trust that traitor? He was on a mission to find Harry and he was going to betray the Order once again!

"… of course you need to hurry up! Potter will be transferred somewhere in this month!" Lucius snapped.

"I don't need you to tell me that. I think the Dark Lord and I can perfectly work this out together," Snape shot back. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

Snape's footsteps disappeared as well now, leaving Narcissa and Lucius alone once again. Hermione could here Bellatrix Lestrange's voice next, who was far more excited than all the others. She greeted both the Malfoy's very cheerfully and she apparently couldn't wait to go to the dining room to meet the Dark Lord. She too asked about Hermione, whether she was already in the Manor or not.

"She is. But I will be the one to tell the Dark Lord about that. We don't want you to take credit for anything," Lucius snapped.

"Of course! Of course! Calm down. Is he already here?"

"No. Not yet. He will arrive when everyone is here."

"And Severus? Is he already here?"  
"He is, but he still doesn't have any information," Narcissa said.

"Tsk, tsk… I don't think the Dark Lord will be too pleased to hear that…" Bellatrix sneered, clearly amused. "Well, I will go and see who is already here."

A couple of minutes later, Greyback arrived. Both Lucius and Narcissa apparently wanted him to leave as soon as possible, and they sounded very reluctant to invite him for dinner. They quickly told him to join the others in the dining room, so that they wouldn't have to spend any more time with the werewolf. Hermione secretly thanked the two Death Eaters for that, she was afraid that Greyback could have smelled her or something if he had stayed longer.

The last one to arrive was the man called Barty. But Hermione still didn't know his last name, so she wasn't sure who he was. She couldn't recognize him from his voice either.

"Barty, welcome. Everyone else is already in the dining hall," Lucius said.

"Good. I hate waiting. Is the Dark Lord here as well?" another man said, presumably Barty.

"No," Narcissa sighed. "He will come when everyone else is here. Then we will call him."

"He hates timewasters as well, then."

"Stop praising yourself for your similarities with the Dark Lord, Crouch. You are the youngest person here tonight, safe Draco, so there is no need to be so arrogant," Lucius snapped.

"We both know that the Dark Lord thinks very high of me. I am his most loyal servant. I am like a son to him. My age doesn't say _anything_ about my capabilities, so I suggest you just keep your mouth shut. If you don't want to be on the receiving end of my Cruciatus Curse, that is," Barty hissed.

"Don't threaten me in my own house, boy," Lucius said angrily.

"Stop it, Lucius. The Dark Lord has asked for Barty to sit next to him at the table," Narcissa whispered.

"What?" Lucius asked confused. "But- this is my house! I am supposed to sit next to him!"

"See? Now stop insulting me, before you end up like the Longbottoms," Barty's voice sounded amused.

The Longbottoms… Neville's parents! And his last name was indeed Crouch. So this man was the man who had impersonated Moody during Hermione's fourth year. He was the man who had put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire. He was the man who had been the cause of Voldemort's resurrection. So he had escaped the Dementors. He wasn't dead.

"Let's just go to the dining room, call the Dark Lord," Narcissa said gently, trying to keep the two men from cursing each other.

"Fine," Lucius said grumpily.

Hermione waited for the three persons to leave the hall so that she could finally move again. She had been there for no longer than twenty minutes, but it had felt like two hours. She walked through the hall, looking for the door to the dining room. There was only one door at the end of the hall, but it was locked. She tried to listen if she could hear anything, but it was completely quiet. Of course they had cast an Imperturbable Charm on the door, so that no sounds could go in or out. Hermione sighed and walked away, back to the staircase. She noticed that the stairs were even further going down. That must be the way to the basement. Hermione descended the stairs and noticed that there wasn't a door, but closed bars instead.

"Hello?" Hermione asked carefully. She knew that everyone was in the dining room, so whoever was here, it wasn't a Death Eater. If there was someone at all.

"Yes?" a man's voice sounded and an old man appeared in Hermione's sight. It was dark, but she could see well enough to recognize the face of Ollivander.

"Mr. Ollivander! It is me, Hermione Granger!"

"What? What are you doing here?" the man asked quietly. He looked very weak, but he sounded bright enough.

"Same as you, I suppose. Although they don't keep me down here. They put me away in a room on the second floor, but I have managed to escape."

"Then escape! Get away from here!"

"They have protected the vicinity. I can't get away without them knowing. And I don't have a wand.

"Why aren't you imprisoned here in the cellars?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I don't. But why are you here? Is Dean here too?" Hermione asked, suddenly remembering that Dean had been caught as well.

"Yes, he is, yes. He is sleeping. He insists on giving me all his food because he thinks I need it more than him. He is very weak and tired. There is a goblin here as well. He is even worse."

"So… why are you here?"  
"Because you-know-who wants to know why he can't kill Harry Potter. He wants me to give him an explanation, but the truth is that I don't know. I have no idea. I have heard him talking about the Elder Wand, and I am starting to think that he wants to find that wand. You know, from the tales. But it is a tale! That thing doesn't exist!" Ollivander sounded very frightened. "He'll never let me go."

"When I escape, I will free you as well. Trust me."  
"Escape? How?"  
"I don't know. I just… know that I am going to escape. I don't want to be here," Hermione answered determined.

"You should go before they catch you."

"They are all dining with Voldemort. They won't even notice that I am gone."

"If you are absolutely certain about that…"

"I am. Is there anything I could get you? I am looking around the house. Perhaps I could find you something to eat," Hermione offered.

"That is very…" Ollivander suddenly stopped talking, looking at the stairs behind Hermione.

"Miss Granger. I thought I heard someone talking and then I find you! What a surprise. I've told you to stay in your room," Wormtail sneered.

"And I have told you that I don't want to be here! Oh no, wait I haven't told you that. But still. You can't just keep me there! And you should give this poor man something to eat. He is starving. Just like the other two," Hermione snapped.

"We are not a catering company. Come on. I take you back to your room. No dinner for you tonight. Oh, and I will tell Lucius about this, I am sure he can teach you some manners," Wormtail smirked and he grabbed Hermione's upper arm and dragged her back to her room. Which was not an easy task for him, because Hermione kept kicking and screaming. She had even managed to leave a deep cut in his face with her nails.

"Now stay here," Wormtail snarled and he threw Hermione back in her room. This time he wasn't stupid enough to leave the door just locked. He took out his wand and made sure Hermione couldn't escape again by simply forcing the lock with a hairclip.

Hermione was left alone again in her room. She let herself fall down on the bed, thinking about her next move. Lucius would come to check on her later in the evening, she was sure about that. She had to come up with a plan before he could even start a possible torture.


	3. Chapter 3

It was almost midnight when Hermione finally heard someone unlocking her door. That must be Lucius, who had heard about her trip to the basement. And indeed, it was. She wasn't really prepared for this, but she knew for certain that she wasn't going to cooperate.

"Miss Granger."

"Mr. Malfoy."

"I don't wish to hear any more of your cheek. What were you doing in my basement?"

"Why are you keeping people imprisoned in your basement?" Hermione shot back.

"None of your business. Now answer my question," Lucius said annoyed.

"It is my business since you are starving them there. How was your meeting with Voldemort, by the way? Was it nice?" Hermione asked, glaring up at the man.

Lucius raised his hand and backhanded her harshly, causing Hermione to fall back down on the bed. "How dare you speak his name, Mudblood?"

"How dare you call me a Mudblood?" Hermione asked, trying to sound as if she was unfazed by the fact that her cheek was glowing.

"I have had enough of this. You either behave, or else you will feel what real pain is."

"Go on then. Try."

Hermione knew that it was probably not a good idea to challenge the Death Eater, but she wanted to get away from this house. The more annoying she was, the better her chances were that Lucius would want to let her go. He wouldn't kill her, that was certain. The Dark Lord wanted her to be there, alive. Lucius only had to realize that he couldn't hurt her.

 _"_ _Crucio,"_ Lucius exclaimed, aiming his wand at Hermione.

The pain was terrible. But she just refused to scream. She didn't want to give him that satisfaction. She just had to get through this. She wouldn't die from this pain. When Lucius finally released the curse, Hermione laughed.

"Is that all you've got?" she laughed.

"Don't pretend you didn't feel that. Or do you want me to do this again?" Lucius sneered.

"Sure, why not. Your curse is weak. Very weak. Are you sure you are a Death Eater?"

"CRUCIO!" Lucius yelled again.

The pain was now more intense, but Hermione was slightly satisfied that she had managed to provoke him. That meant that she _was_ irritating him. She bit her lip to stop herself from screaming, while her body convulsed into painful spasms. She was very relieved when the curse was lifted again.

"Why don't you scream?" Lucius hissed venomously.

"Because I don't have to."

"Shall I call the Dark Lord to give you some torture?"

Hermione laughed at that.

"What's so funny about that?"  
"Voldemort won't be happy to be summoned for such a simple task. He will be _disappointed_ in you. Because you are such a misery that you can't even torture someone properly. Ask Bellatrix, I am sure she would love to help you. And I am sure she would laugh at you," Hermione spat.

"That is actually quite a good idea… We could cast the curse at you at the same time… Let's see if you still have such a big mouth after that, filthy Mudblood," Lucius hissed.

That was not what Hermione had planned. She didn't know if it was even possible to cast the same curses at the same person at the same time, but she didn't want to find out either.

"Let me warn you… If you have a big mouth again, you will be worse off than just two Cruciatus Curses," Lucius sneered and he walked away again, closing the door behind him and locking it.

Now Hermione didn't know what to do anymore. She could keep on insulting Malfoy and Voldemort, pissing the Death Eater off and risking more torture, or she could just cooperate, which meant that she would never leave the house. But insulting Malfoy wouldn't necessarily mean that she could leave the Manor either. Maybe he would just stop torturing her at one point and let Wormtail give her some water and bread once a day. There just wasn't a simple way out of this.

Hermione checked the door again and found that it wasn't magically locked. Again. So Lucius hadn't learned anything then. She could go out again. With a bit of luck, everyone would be asleep by now. She had no idea how many people were still in the house, but it was already past midnight, so maybe everyone would be home by now. There was no way they would all be sleeping over at the Malfoy Manor. She looked around and saw no one in sight. So she decided to investigate some more. Hopefully without being caught this time. Maybe the dining room would be open this time. Maybe there was even some food left that she could bring to those poor people in the basement. And for herself, of course, since she still hadn't got any food.

She walked down the stairs quickly, under the assumption that the rest of the family would sleep on the first floor. And she didn't want to wake anyone up. Before entering the hall, she checked if there were still people, but it seemed to be deserted. Then she quickly went to the dining room, which wasn't locked this time. And the room seemed to be deserted as well. So Hermione entered the dining room , trying to make no noise. She investigated the cupboard, looking for some rests of food, but she had no luck so far. Maybe she should try the kitchen. But when she turned around, she stared straight in the eyes of a man. Not Lucius or Wormtail this time. It was a tall, younger man with a long, leather coat. He had a glint of danger in his eyes, which made Hermione feel very uncomfortable. He looked downright _creepy_. He certainly was a Death Eater, but he was nothing like Lucius or Wormtail or Nott, not even like Bellatrix. Hermione couldn't quite put her finger on it, but the man was certainly not sane.

"Who are you?" the man asked, and then Hermione knew who he was. She had heard his voice before. That man was Barty Crouch Junior. No wonder he looked so insane, he was a murderous lunatic. He had tortured Neville's parents into madness.

"I could ask you the same," Hermione replies, trying not to feel intimidated at all. In which she failed. And something told her she had every right to feel intimidated.

"You must be Granger," Barty stated.

"You must be a Death Eater," Hermione shot back, not wanting to let him know that she _did_ know who he was.

"I recognize you."

Well, that was an odd remark. Surely they hadn't met before. But then Hermione remembered. Of course, he had been her Defence teacher for a whole schoolyear. Of course he recognized her. But she didn't want to admit that she knew him, so she pretended to be dumb.

"I don't recognize you. Now, if you'll excuse me," Hermione said, trying to get past the man, but he wouldn't let her. He stop her with his arm.

"You are not supposed to be here, you know? You are supposed to be upstairs. In your room. Lucius is not very careful, is he? I am not sure if the Dark Lord will be pleased to hear that Lucius can't even handle an unarmed Mudblood…"

"Well, you're not supposed to be here either! You don't live here, so leave me alone," Hermione snapped, but Barty didn't react well to that. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look him in the eyes. She glared back at him with the best defiant look she could give him.

"I am here for business. You… on the other hand, are here as the Dark Lord's prisoner. I'll tell Lucius to keep an eye on you from now on. He needs to look after his guests, after all…" Barty sneered and he leaned in closer, which made Hermione's heart only beat faster. "If he doesn't, then maybe _I_ will have to pay you a little visit…"

"Just stay away from me," Hermione snapped, slapping his hand away from her and pushing him aside.

"The name is Crouch, by the way. Barty Crouch. Junior. I hope we don't have to meet again, Miss Granger," Barty's voice called after her as she left the dining room quickly.

That man had really brought her chills. She wasn't an easy one to scare away, but she had to admit that right now, she was slightly afraid. The coldness in the man's voice was truly frightening. She had the feeling that he was maybe as cruel as Voldemort himself. She had never met Voldemort before, but she was sure that he had the same coldness and insanity. But she did agree with Barty. She really hoped she wouldn't have to meet him again.

She quickly went back to her room and made sure it was well locked before she went to her bed. It had only been one day, and it had felt as if she had been at the Manor for weeks already. Still, she wouldn't just give up. Her meeting with Barty had only made her more determined to get away from the house as quickly as possible. She never wanted to see those cold, dark eyes again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi! So from now on, there will be a _lot_ more Barty C in the story. And my plan is to make him as scary as possible. Because he is very evil. I like evil characters. So if you think he isn't disturbing enough, then you must let me know!**

 **Please give me some feedback! Give me reviews! Reviews are cool. ;)**

* * *

The next morning, Hermione was roughly wakened by the door that opened. She shot up straight in her bed and looked into the furious face of Lucius Malfoy.

"Where were you last night?" he asked, his teeth clenched.

"Leave me alone, I am sleeping," Hermione said with a sleepy voice. She had decided that she would continue pissing Lucius off, just in the hope that he would leave her alone then. She would probably not leave this house, but maybe she would be left in peace. That would be a result.

"You are not sleeping. I am talking to you. Answer my question," Lucius hissed, snatching the covers away from Hermione's body.

"I said, leave me alone. So piss off," Hermione snapped, trying to get her duvet back. But Lucius kept it firmly away from her. So she sighed and sat up straight. "It is none of your business."

"This is my house. It _is_ my business."

"I was here. In my room," Hermione told him, but she knew that he knew she was lying.

"Mr. Crouch has left me a note. Saying that he had seen you in the dining room last night. What were you doing there?" Lucius asked.

Hermione sighed in relief. Good. So that meant that that creep wasn't in the house anymore.

"Then he was lying."

"He wouldn't lie about such a thing. What were you doing there?" Lucius asked again, starting to be impatient.

"Are you afraid your Death Eater mates are laughing at you behind your back? Is that what you are worried about? Do you think that Crouch-person thinks you are a fool for not keeping an eye on me? Did I embarrass you?" Hermione sneered.

Lucius leaned in closer. "So you _were_ downstairs."

"Maybe I was. So what? I didn't choose to be here."

"Maybe I should send you someone who can scare you. Seeing that you are not very impressed by my Cruciatus Curse. Maybe I should send Greyback to your room…" Lucius sneered.

Hermione's eyes widened when she heard that. But she quickly recovered herself. Of course he wouldn't send a werewolf to her. He had his orders from Voldemort. She couldn't die or be turned into a werewolf.

"I don't think you should."

"I will if you don't listen to me…" Lucius smirked, seemingly thinking that he had succeeded in scaring Hermione finally off.

"Your master won't approve, I think. In fact, I think Voldemort will be _very_ cross with you if he found out you sent a werewolf to my room," Hermione laughed.

"Don't speak his name," Lucius ordered.

"Whose name? Voldemort's?" Hermione challenged. "I am not afraid to speak that name. Maybe there is a taboo, but you have already kidnapped me. So what if he finds me?"

"You are a Mudblood, you don't get to use his name," Lucius said, now clearly angry with her.

"Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort. There."

Lucius grabbed Hermione by her throat and dragged her out of her bed, then dropping her on the floor. He took out his wand and raised it. He then flicked his wand several times, causing multiple deep cuts on Hermione's face. She tried to keep herself form screaming out in pain, but she couldn't help herself this time.

"So you _can_ feel pain…" Lucius smiled. "That is good to know."

"Do you honestly think that _this_ is pain? Come on, you are supposed to be a Death Eater. You can do better than that," Hermione breathed. She knew it was probably unwise to say such things, but she wasn't going to let him walk over her like that.

"Why are you trying to piss me off?" Lucius asked.

"Haven't figured that out yet? So you are weak, pathetic _and_ stupid."

"CRUCIO!" Lucius yelled again, now in full anger.

This time, Hermione screamed in agony, the pain was just too much to take. Somehow, the curse had hit her better this time. Maybe because she had angered Lucius this time, or maybe because she was weaker than yesterday. She hadn't eaten anything since. When Lucius finally raised the curse, she tried to stand up without showing him that she was exhausted.

"I want you to bring me back to my own house," Hermione said furiously.

"That is not going to happen, girl. You stay here. If you would just listen to me, I wouldn't have to punish you over and over."

"Alright. Then I'll behave from now on. But then you have to treat your prisoners in the basement better. Give them more food. Do that, and I will listen," Hermione said.

"You don't have anything to say in this house."

"Then I will just keep being difficult."

"Do as you wish. No food for today for you," Lucius sneered.

"What a cruel punishment," Hermione said sarcastically.

"You'll be very sorry for not listening to me… I'll decide later what your real punishment will be… Until then, you are to stay here. I will lock your door," Lucius told her sternly. "Trust me. You shall learn to be more respectful in the future…"

With that, Lucius left the room, locking it with magic. Hermione was left on her own, pondering about what he had just said. She knew she had gone too far. She had only been in the Manor for one day now, and she had already pissed her captor off. Now she only had to wait for what was going to happen to her. He wouldn't just let her go, that was for sure. But he wouldn't kill her either, Voldemort had ordered to keep her alive. She wondered why, though. It surely wasn't just to keep her away from Harry and Ron and the Order. Then he would've just killed her. Maybe he needed her for something. Information? No, then Lucius would already have given her some Veritaserum. Maybe he wanted to use her as bait. That was more likely. If that was the case, then she would be better off dead. She didn't want Harry to be in danger because of her.

She let herself fall back down on the bed, her body completely sore from the torture curse. She suddenly asked herself why she had been so brave. She wouldn't accomplish anything with her braveness. They would only torture her even more, or starve her. Hermione pressed her head in the pillow and started crying herself into sleep. Maybe she wouldn't feel how hungry she really was that way.

It was hours later when Hermione woke up at the sound of voices in the corridor. She tried to hear who the voices belonged to, but she couldn't quite place them. They were speaking very quietly and Hermione couldn't understand a word. Then suddenly the door swung open and Lucius entered the room.

"I have new orders from the Dark Lord concerning you, miss Granger," he said.

Hermione looked at him with a rather confused expression. She knew he had been up to something to make her more obedient, but she hadn't expected him to come so early.

"What?" she asked, trying her best to hide her curiosity.

"Someone else will look after you from now on," Lucius smirked and he gestured towards the door. It was only then that Hermione realised that there was another man standing in her room.

"Miss Granger," the man said politely, but there was nothing friendly about his voice. He certainly didn't intend to be polite.

"This is Bartemius Crouch Junior. You might have heard his name before," Lucius introduced him.

Hermione found that she could only nod her head. Never had she expected that _he_ of all persons would have to look after her.

"You can't leave me with that lunatic," Hermione rasped, staring at Lucius.

"Now, now, Granger, don't be so impolite," Barty warned.

Hermione now looked at Barty, trying to look very angry, but she couldn't. She was frozen. Where had all her braveness gone? She was perfectly able to stand up against Lucius, but now she couldn't even snap back. Lucius seemed to be satisfied by the fact that Hermione had finally lost her fight. He was practically glowing.

"I told you that you would be sorry. Soon you will be begging on your knees to come back to the Manor," Lucius sneered.

"What? What do you mean?"

"He means that you are coming with me," Barty answered for Lucius.

"No, no! You can't!"

"Why not?" Lucius now laughed. "The Dark Lord himself has ordered it. I am sure Mr. Crouch can teach you some manners."

"I am _very_ sure about that," Barty said, his lips forming a cruel smile. Then he walked over at Hermione and he grabbed her arm, apparating them away from Malfoy Manor.

She had hated Malfoy Manor since she had arrived, but she knew that now she had landed in her real hell. Hermione feared that Lucius had been right; she shouldn't have had such a big mouth. She was in a lot more trouble now than back in Malfoy Manor.

Little did she know that her nightmare had only just begun.


	5. Chapter 5

The moment Hermione and Barty entered Barty's house, or rather, manor, they were welcomed by a house-elf.

"Master Barty! Winky is happy to see you again! Who is the lady with master Barty, Winky wonders?" the house-elf asked.

Hermione looked at the elf as if she was mad. How could she be so happy to see that insane Death Eater? He was probably one of the least likable persons on planet Earth.

"This is Hermione Granger. She is to stay here, in the house. She will not leave the house under any circumstances unless I say so. She will take the guest room," Barty said.

"Winky will make the room ready for mistress!" Winky said and after a bow, she disappeared.

Hermione stood there for a minute, completely still, waiting for Barty to say something. But he didn't seem to be really interested in her, because he walked through the corridor and opened a door leading to the living room. Hermione just decided to follow him, since she didn't know what to do else. She studied the hall around her, which was not as large as the hall in Malfoy Manor, but it was certainly not bad. She knew that the Crouch family was also one of the richer, pure-blood families, so it didn't really surprise her. This must have been the house where Barty Crouch Sr. had been living as well. The living room was just as prestigious, with a large fireplace with golden ornaments on it. She didn't really get the time to admire the decorations, though, because as soon as she entered the room, Barty slammed the door shut behind her.

"Next time I want you to follow me, you better do it a bit quicker than this," he snarled.

"You didn't even tell me to follow you," Hermione shot back, swallowing nervously.

Hermione quickly took a step back when Barty came slowly closer to her, his tongue darting out of his mouth occasionally. Which made him very scary.

"If you behave, I won't have to hurt you. Maybe that pathetic Malfoy was incapable of handling you, I certainly am not. Maybe he couldn't scare you, but I can. Let that be a warning," Barty said, but Hermione felt that he didn't even need to tell her that that was a warning.

"Then you don't know me," she bit, trying to hide her fear.

"But I do, Miss Granger… Remember that I have been your teacher in Defence Against the Dark Arts for a whole year… I know your weaknesses," Barty said with a low, threatening voice.

"You won't kill me."

"I don't have to kill you. We both know how Neville's parents have ended up by the time I was done with them."

"Well, you weren't the only one. You were with three. That is hardly fair, now is it?"

Barty now leaned in dangerously close. Hermione was clearly making him angry now.

"My Cruciatus Curse is equivalent to the Dark Lord's curse himself. If that doesn't scare you yet, then maybe you want me to demonstrate it on you first," he hissed, his tongue flicking out again.

Hermione just stared at him, knowing that if she opened her mouth she would only be able to produce very funny sounds.

"Or you could take my other option. Which is thanking me for my hospitality and going to your room, where I expect you to stay."

"I- I'll go to my room."

Hermione wanted to turn around and go looking for her room herself, but Barty stopped her.

"You forgot something…"

"What?" Hermione now snapped.

"Thank me."

"For what? Your kindness? The fact that you keep me here imprisoned? No, I won't thank you for that. Goodnight."

With that, Hermione yanked her arm back and she wanted to walk away again. But now Barty really grabbed her painfully by her wrist, pulling her closer to him so that she had to look into his dark and furious eyes.

"I think you don't realise how _kind_ I am right now, Granger," he hissed venomously.

"Let go off me," Hermione demanded.

"Do you _want_ me to hurt you already? It would be my pleasure, my little Mudblood," Barty grinned, and he threw her down on the floor.

"You are insane!" Hermione shouted. "Just leave me alone and I will do as you asked! I will go to my room! Alright?"

"You still have that disrespectful big mouth, and I don't appreciate it _at all_. No one can talk to me like that. Certainly not you. Get up," Barty ordered. When Hermione stayed on the floor, he used his wand to make her stay. "Good… how shall I start?"

Hermione looked at him with a defiant gaze, not once blinking. She didn't want to give the madman the expression that he frightened her to death. He would only enjoy that even more. Maybe, if she would cooperate, she would be relatively safe in the house. From her former experiences, she knew that it was no use to act bravely. It had only caused her an imprisonment in a worse place. With a worse man.

"Alright, you have been kind. Thank you for letting me stay here," Hermione said, not really sounding as if she was telling the truth. "Can I go now?"

"Silly, stupid, naïve, little girl… Trying to escape your punishment, are you? That won't work with me… You should have thought about that earlier," Barty snarled, seizing her chin painfully.

"Master Barty! The room for mistress is ready!" Winky's voice sounded from somewhere behind Hermione.

"How dare you disturb me? Can't you see I am busy?" Barty growled, shooting Winky a glare.

"Winky is sorry, master Barty! Master Barty not be angry with Winky! Winky is sorry," the elf begged, and Hermione immediately felt sorry for the creature. But surprisingly, Barty's glare softened as well.

"Don't let it happen again. And just to make things clear, _she_ is not you mistress. You will not take any orders from her. Is that understood?" Barty said, his voice barely contained.

"Yes, master," Winky stammered.

"Then take her to her room. And give her something to eat. I don't want to hear or see her for the rest of the evening and night," Barty said.

Hermione was very relieved and she inwardly thanked Winky for disturbing Barty. The house-elf had just saved her from a terrible torture. Although she didn't know if he would forget this. Maybe he would only be worse in the morning. Maybe the only thing that could save her right now was to try being polite and not being difficult. Even if it felt like betrayal to herself and the Order. Being cruciated into insanity wouldn't do her any good either.

"Winky is happy to have mistress here," Winky announced when they had reached the first floor of the manor. "Winky is always happy to serve master's guests."

"I am not his guest," Hermione muttered.

"Who is mistress then?"

"I am more a sort of your master's prisoner. I don't want to be here," Hermione answered truthfully. "He is insane. He is cruel. He serves Voldemort and I hate him."

"Mistress must not say bad things about master Barty. Master Barty is a good man! Winky has served him all his life!" Winky said with tears in her eyes.

"Sure. Whatever you say."

Hermione thought that it would be a good idea to shut up now, since the house-elf was clearly not interested in hearing anything bad about her beloved master. She knew how dedicated elves could be, and Winky was obviously very loyal. So loyal that she couldn't even see the bad in her master anymore.

"Have you ever thought about freedom, Winky?" Hermione asked gently.

"Winky does not wish to be free!" Winky spluttered with widened eyes, as if Hermione were crazy. "Winky is here to serve the Crouch family!"

"But… surely you can still serve them as a free elf? You don't have to be a slave, you know," Hermione pointed out.

"Winky does not wish to be a free elf! Now Winky will bring mistress food and water and then Winky will bring you clothes to sleep in," Winky said and she quickly left the bedroom again.

Hermione sat down on the new four poster bed. Her room was larger than her room in Malfoy Manor, probably because there she had been given the smallest room in the entire house. This was different. She had her own bathroom attached to the bedroom, which had a shower and a bathtub in it. She stood up and tried the large window, but it wouldn't open. Not that she had expected it to open, but she could always try. The view was nice, though. She had a view on the large English gardens behind the manor. But she highly doubted if she would be allowed to leave the house on her own. Probably not.

Winky returned with clothes and food and she put it down on the small table next to the bed. The house-elf seemed to be in a hurry, and Hermione wondered if it was because she had insulted the elf by asking her if she wanted to be free.

"Winky will wake mistress tomorrow morning for breakfast. Mistress should sleep now," Winky said quickly, but she was still polite.

"Thank you, Winky," Hermione smiled and the house-elf left her again.

Hermione picked up the clothes Winky had left. She had given her a new blouse, new underwear and new jeans. They all seemed to have the right fit. Maybe Winky had used some sort of magic to know her sizes. She also had gotten new pyjamas, which she lay down on her bed to put on after she had showered. Her life wasn't that bad as a prisoner, she even had good food here.

It was only later in bed that she thought about her captor again. She had almost forgotten about him. But she was certain that he had not forgotten about her yet. She didn't know why she was here yet, but she was sure that Barty was going to make her life into a pure hell.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hii :) my updates are going reaaally fast this time.. mainly because I already have a couple of chapters written. But I am still not quite sure about where I am going with this fic... I might even end up coupling Hermione and Barty :$**

 **again, please leave some comments! It gives me inspiration and motivation!**

 **Love you xx**

* * *

"Mistress!" Winky's voice sounded for the third time that morning. "Mistress should wake up! Mistress should have breakfast!"

"Leave me alone," Hermione groaned. She had been up for more than one hour now, but she didn't want to be downstairs with Barty. She hoped that if she would wait long enough, she would not have to eat with him.

"Master Barty is waiting downstairs!" Winky said again, her voice sounded slightly panicked.

Hermione's blood ran cold. Why didn't Winky tell her that before? That man was waiting for her downstairs? He was waiting for her to have breakfast together? Then he had been there for more than an hour already. She had made him angry. She was certain about that.

"Why didn't you say so?" Hermione shot up straight and she put on her new clothes immediately.

"Winky is sorry, mistress, Winky thought mistress knew…"

"Is he angry?"

"Winky does not know. Master Barty only told Winky to fetch mistress," Winky said, staring at her feet.

Hermione quickly put on her shoes and then she ran down the stairs, quickly entering the dining room. She wondered why that man could make her so scared. Lucius had tortured and threatened her, but she had not been impressed at all. Barty had not even tortured her and yet he succeeded in making her more scared than ever. And she didn't know why. Perhaps it was because of his insanity, because of his coldness. She couldn't tell. All she knew was that the Death Eater was clearly angry when she saw him. He was sitting in a chair at the end of the table, his arms resting on the armrests. His posture seemed to be calm, but his eyes told Hermione otherwise. His eyes narrowed when they spotted Hermione in the door opening.

"You are late," he stated.

"Sorry."

" _Very_ late."

"Yes, sorry," Hermione repeated.

"Sit down."

Hermione quickly took the chair at the other side of the table, just to be as far away from Barty as possible.

"Not there, come here," Barty ordered and he nodded towards the chair next to him, on his right side.

Hermione stood up and obeyed him, only to make sure that she wouldn't make him even more angry with her.

"So… has my little witch learned to obey me already?" Barty sneered.

Hermione decided not to answer that question. She really didn't want to obey him, but she didn't want to make him angry either. She was scared. More scared than ever. And she had the feeling that Barty knew that.

"You let me waiting for you for quite some time."

"I know," Hermione said quietly in response. "I am sorry."

"Good. Now about last night… You were rude. You know that, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any idea what happens to people who are rude to me?" Barty asked with a deadly menacing voice.

"N-no," Hermione said quietly. She wanted to hit herself for being so cowardly. She should be stronger than this. What was the worst the man could possibly do to her? He could torture her. That was it. He couldn't kill her.

"Most of them don't live to see another day. Unless they are Death Eaters, they get away with only a torture. The only person who _is_ allowed to talk down to me, is my master. So… lesson number one, what have you learned?"

Hermione took in a deep breath before talking. She looked Barty in the eyes and she saw that he was very pleased with the fact that she was trembling on her seat. And she didn't want to give him that satisfaction. She didn't want to lose her courage. So she took another deep breath and she gathered all her strength to talk.

"That you are an arrogant, insane bastard," she answered without missing a beat.

Barty looked as if he had been hit in the face. His smug grin vanished immediately. His eyes widened and his tongue flicked out briefly. Now Hermione knew that she was going to receive that torture. But it was worth it. It was absolutely worth it. He had no power over her.

Hermione's eyes widened when she saw that Barty stood up slowly, his fists clenched. He slowly walked over to where Hermione was sitting and he stopped behind her chair, and he grabbed the back of the chair. He leaned down so that Hermione could feel his warm breath on her ear.

"You were being rude again, Granger…"

"I- I know."

"Why?"

"B-because you don't have any power over me. You don't get to say how I need to talk to you," Hermione answered quietly.

"Do you know about my mental condition?" his voice sounded again, too calmly for Hermione's liking.

"No…"

He chuckled slightly, which made Hermione shiver. He was insane, and she had provoked him. Where was Winky now?

"You were right. I _am_ insane… And it makes me very dangerous… More dangerous than any other Death Eater. Maybe you thought insulting Lucius was a good idea, but insulting me is really not smart. You know, I am famous for my Cruciatus Curse," Barty hissed.

"You keep telling me that, but still you haven't done anything!" Hermione snapped.

"Do you want me to?"

"If that makes you step away from me," Hermione bit.

Then suddenly, without giving her any warning, Barty threw the chair down on the floor, including Hermione. He kicked the chair away from her, which smashed into pieces. He then took out his wand, pointing it at Hermione.

" _Crucio_."

Hermione screamed, feeling the pain burning. It was so much worse than anything she had ever felt before. It felt as if she was ripped apart, as if she was thrown in flames, as if she was stabbed by thousands of knives. She was certain that she was going to die. Until the pain suddenly stopped.

"Now… do you want me to do that again?" Barty's cruel voice sounded above her head.

"N-no, please…"

"More respect, Granger."

"Please don't, Mr. Crouch," Hermione whimpered.

"That's better," Barty sneered. "Stand up."

Hermione tried to stand up, but she was too sore .

"I said… _stand up_."

She tried again and this time, she succeeded. Though she was still in pain, she managed to keep herself from falling back down on the floor. Barty sat down in his chair again.

"WINKY!" he bellowed, and the house-elf apparated into the dining room. She bowed, and then she looked around at the mess in the room. But she didn't say anything about it.

"Bring us breakfast," Barty ordered.

Hermione wanted to snap at him for talking to his house-elf like that, but she decided that it would be better to just keep her mouth shut. He would either hurt her or Winky, and that was not something she wanted.

"Yes, master," Winky bowed and she snapped her fingers. The food and drinks magically appeared on the table, including the plates and cutlery.

"You can leave," Barty told the elf, and Winky went away again.

Hermione still stood next to the table, since her chair was broken in the corner of the room. She didn't dare to ask Barty if she could sit down, so she just waited. Barty didn't seem to be very eager to offer Hermione something to eat, since he just started to put some butter on his toast.

"Stop staring at me," Barty snarled, before Hermione realized that she had indeed been staring at him the entire time.

"What am I doing here?" Hermione asked.

"Well, you were supposed to be having breakfast."

"I mean, what am I doing here in this house as a prisoner?"

"I know what you bloody meant, Granger," Barty said annoyed, but he didn't answer her question. "Tell me, are you afraid?"

"No," Hermione answered, but she knew it wasn't convincing enough.

"I think you are lying."

"Why would I be lying? You are not going to kill me. Now can I sit back down again, please?"

Barty dropped his toast and leaned back in his chair, looking at Hermione as if she was the most amusing and interesting person he had ever seen in his life. Hermione suddenly found it very difficult to breath, feeling those eyes on her. All she really wanted to do was to go back to her room. Why on Earth did she have to be so difficult? Why couldn't she just be a coward for once?

"Come here," Barty ordered, a wide smirk on his face.

"Why?" Hermione asked, but she reluctantly did as he asked.

Barty didn't answer her question, he just beckoned to her. Hermione stopped far enough to make sure that he couldn't touch her from where he was sitting, but when Barty stood up, he took a step closer to her himself. Hermione tried her very best to stand her ground and not to step away from him.

"My, my… I can almost _hear_ your heart banging out of your chest…" Barty said amused.

"What do you want?" Hermione asked, trying not to look away.

"I want to tell you something. And I want to make sure that you are listening very carefully," Barty replied.

"Then step away from me."

"Why? I thought you were not afraid of me?"

Hermione knew he was teasing her. Trying her boundaries. He wanted to see how far he had to go before Hermione showed him how scared she really was. He was just trying to get some reaction out of her.

"I just want to have my personal space," Hermione told him.

"You don't like my presence?"

"Obviously not," Hermione sighed. "You are a Death Eater. I don't want you anywhere near me. Being locked up in this house is already bad enough as it is without you invading my personal space."

"Tsk, tsk," Barty said, taking another step closer so that they were almost touching bodies. "Don't be so _rude_ … Trust me, I can be a _lot_ worse than this. Do not challenge me."

"What did you want to tell me?"

"I will be out this afternoon. And I want to tell you the rules for while I am gone," he said, his eyes hardening and boring into Hermione's. "You will not enter rooms that are locked. You will ask Winky if you need something. You will not leave the house and you will not touch anything that isn't yours."

Hermione thought about making a snappy remark for ordering her things like that, but she thought that it would be better to not say anything. The man was already dangerous enough. Besides, she was already very happy that he would leave the house. That meant that she didn't have to worry about him the whole afternoon.

"Okay."

"Good girl… Best for you to keep these rules in your mind. If I find out that you have broken one of my rules, then I shall have to punish you _severely_ for it…"

After that threat, Barty finally went back to his own chair and he sat down again. Hermione was completely frozen on her spot. She had no intention of finding out what he would do to her if he found out she had broken the rules. She was brave, but also smart enough to know that pissing Barty off was probably a very dangerous thing to do.


	7. Chapter 7

For the first half hour since Barty had left for business, Hermione waited in her room. She was slightly afraid that he would suddenly return and find her somewhere lurking around in his house. But she couldn't help herself. He had forbidden her to enter rooms that were locked. So she wanted to know which rooms that were. She wouldn't enter them, she would only look around. He had not said a word about not wandering around in the house. So Hermione left her bedroom and walked to the other end of the corridor, to see what was there. She found several doors, but they only seemed to be unimportant broom closets or storage rooms. Another room appeared to be a deserted bedroom, maybe it had belonged to Barty's parents. It was certainly large enough for two persons.

The door next to the deserted bedroom was locked. So Hermione knew that she wasn't supposed to open it to see what was behind it. She wasn't _supposed_ to be curious, but she couldn't help it. She was very curious. The next room was locked as well. Hermione gathered that one of the rooms must be Barty's bedroom. He probably slept on the same floor as Hermione.

Hermione half expected another staircase, leading to an attic or something, but she couldn't find it. The manor only had one floor. There was a staircase leading to the ground floor, though. Down the stairs, Hermione found the most amazing room of the whole house. It was a pretty large library, filled with all sorts of books. She read some of the titles, and she even took some of the book off the shelves to take them with her to her room. When she wanted to leave, she bumped into Winky.

"Mistress should not steal books from master," Winky told Hermione with a small voice. "Mistress should ask master first."

"Of course I will ask him. When he returns. I am not stealing anything, I am just borrowing," Hermione said with a kind smile.

"Master Barty will not like it. Master Barty has told mistress not to touch anything," Winky sputtered.

"Oh, come on, Winky. I am bored."

"Master will be angry," Winky said, now clearly trembling.

The poor elf was really afraid for a possible punishment, at least, that was what Hermione thought. So she put the books back down on the shelves, which made the house-elf very happy.

"Thank you, mistress, you is a good person," Winky said relieved.

Winky escorted Hermione back to the first floor, and when they passed the closed doors again, Hermione couldn't help herself. She wanted to know.

"What is behind these doors, Winky?"

"Mistress should not interfere with master Barty's business!" Winky said shocked.

"I know, I wasn't going to. I just want to know what rooms they are."

"It is young master's bedroom, and his study. Winky is not allowed to show mistress those rooms!"

"Please? He won't have to know. I have already put back the books. Please?" Hermione asked.

"Master has told Winky not to let mistress in rooms that are locked!"

Now Hermione saw that Winky was truly indignant. She took out her hairclip again and started to force the lock open. She had had some practise back at Malfoy Manor, and luckily enough, Barty has not thought about deadlocking the doors with magic. So she was able to open it like a muggle would.

"What is mistress doing?" Winky asked nervously.

"I was not allowed to enter _locked_ rooms," Hermione grinned. "It is not locked anymore."

Without waiting for Winky's protests, she opened the door and entered the study. Winky followed her, trying to drag her away, and Hermione felt slightly sorry for the elf. She also knew that Winky could easily apparate Hermione out of the room. But apparently the elf was not going to use magic on people, maybe she had learned that it was an insult to use magic on a witch or wizard.

"Please… mistress should go back to her room," Winky begged.

Hermione ignored the elf, she was just too curious. She felt that the house-elf was terrified, but she didn't help the poor elf. She would only look around and then she would leave again. No one would ever know she had been there, apart from Winky.

"You will not tell him about this, will you?" Hermione asked, turning around to face the elf.

"Winky is loyal elf! Winky does not lie to master!"

"You won't have to lie. You just don't mention it," Hermione said.

Hermione walked further into the room, ignoring the protesting elf. The room appeared to be quite normal, until her eye fell on a small cauldron with a boiling yellow substance in it. And Hermione was good enough in potions to recognize the substance. It was Felix Felicis. Liquid Luck. If Barty was making that for Voldemort or other Death Eaters, then the Order would have a big problem. Luckily, it was a very difficult potion to brew, and it would take at least six months to finish it. And by the look of it, the potion was only two months old.

She looked around to see what else was lying on the table. Her eye fell on a jar with bat spleens, which was not an ingredient for the Liquid Luck. It was mostly used as one of the head ingredients in a Swelling Solution. But it did give Hermione an idea. She would not allow Voldemort to have a potion such as the Liquid Luck. It would be too dangerous to risk that. And one error in the potion could have some disastrous consequences. It was an extremely difficult potion… Barty could easily make a mistake. Like accidently dropping one bat spleen in the cauldron.

Hermione opened the jar and she took out one bat spleen. She knew that it wouldn't do much to the colour, so there was a chance that Barty would never find out that the potion was manipulated. Unless he was an advanced potioneer. But she had to try. She had the chance to make a difference right now, and she might not get a second chance. So she let the spleen fall into the cauldron, and the potion made a strange hissing sound. But both the colour and the smell stayed the same.

"What is mistress doing?" Winky asked nervously.

"I am going back to my room," Hermione said airily, and she left the study quickly. "Would you please lock the door again, Winky?"

"What has mistress done to master's cauldron?" Winky asked suspiciously, but she did lock the door of the study behind her before running after Hermione.

"Nothing. How late does he return, do you think?" Hermione asked.

"Any minute from now, Miss," Winky replied.

"Good. Then I can ask him for those books."

Hermione went to her own bedroom and Winky left her on her own. Hermione smiled in herself, she had really done a great job. She had ruined a potion that could have been a dangerous weapon in the hands of the wrong people. But why would Barty be brewing it? Why didn't Voldemort ask Snape to do it? He was the potions expert, after all. She was fairly convinced that it was Voldemort who wanted that potion. Barty wouldn't make such a complex potion for himself.

Winky had been right about the time of arrival of Barty. Hermione suspected Barty to have gathered new ingredients for his Felix potion, since she hadn't been able to find any ingredients that were right for the potion. Hermione now chuckled in herself. His work would all be in vain.

But her smile didn't last for long. She suddenly heard the sounds of breaking glass and an angry yell coming from a couple of rooms further. _He knew what she had done._ Hermione tried not to panic, the first thing she thought about was Winky. Winky could protect her with her magic. She ran down the stairs to the living room, where she found the house-elf.

"Please, please, Winky, Barty is very angry and I need you to protect me. Can you do that?" Hermione asked quietly.

Winky looked at her as if she were an alien.

"What has mistress done then?" she asked confused with widened eyes.

"That does not matter. Please help me, please, he is coming downstairs!" Hermione urged, panic taking over.

"Winky cannot go against master's orders! Winky is loyal elf!" Winky said determined.

"Please…" Hermione repeated desperately.

"GRANGER!"

The door to the living room slammed open and a furious Barty came marching into the room, towards Hermione. He was livid. His tongue flicked out of his mouth like he always did when he was angry, but now he looked really deranged. Hermione quickly tried to move away from him, but she soon found herself pressed against the wall. Barty bared his teeth and he breathed heavily. Then he raised his wand, and Hermione knew he was going to torture her mercilessly.

"CRUCIO!" he roared, hitting her with the curse with his anger.

It seemed to be going on for ages, the pain wouldn't stop. Hermione found that she couldn't breathe anymore, she was certain that she was going to die. She almost hoped that she was going to die. If only the pain would stop. She couldn't take it. After minutes, what had felt like hours for Hermione, Barty lifted the cursed and he grabbed Hermione by her throat, forcing her numb body to stand up.

"P-please… Stop!" Hermione croaked.

"I haven't even started," Barty growled. "Two months delay. _Two months._ I know what you have done…"

"I haven't done anything!" Hermione tried.

"LIAR!" Barty thundered, striking her hard across the face. "You were the only one here. And Winky would _never_ do such a thing."

"I- I am sorry," Hermione whimpered. "P-please…"

"I thought you were such a brave little Gryffindor? Are you begging for mercy already?"

"I've told you! I am sorry!" Hermione tried again.

"Not as sorry as you will be," Barty hissed. " _Crucio_."

The pain returned, even more intense than the first time. She was screaming, crying, yelling, begging for him to stop. But he wouldn't stop. He only stopped when Hermione had almost lost her consciousness. She wanted to die. She didn't want this to go on.

"Master Barty… Winky thinks you is to stop," Winky said softly, but she cowered back immediately when she saw her master's furious eyes.

"Don't tell me what to do, elf. You are my servant. You will be punished too, don't you worry," Barty hissed.

"No!" Hermione defended Winky. "She had no part in this! She is innocent!"

"She didn't stop you, did she?!" Barty yelled enraged.

"Master Barty! You is hurting mistress!" Winky whimpered.

"DO NOT CALL HER THAT! _I_ AM YOUR MASTER!" Barty roared, now lifting the elf up and throwing her across the room. Then he advanced on Winky again. "If you ever _dare_ calling her that again, you will be presented clothes."

"No! Please, master Barty! Not clothes!"

But Barty wasn't listening anymore. He had his attention directed at the almost lifeless body of Hermione again.

"Filthy Mudblood… Trying to make me angry, eh? That is _never_ a good idea…"

When he raised his wand again, Winky sprinted over to where Hermione was lying, and she grabbed her arm quickly and she apparated her back to her room. They both could hear Barty's fury continuing downstairs, and Winky looked truly terrified.

"Winky will take her punishment for bringing mistr- Miss Granger back to her room without master's permission," Winky whispered.

The house-elf had probably saved Hermione from being tortured into insanity. She smiled at the creature.

"Thank you, Winky, for saving me," Hermione said, truly grateful.

Winky bowed, and then she apparated back to the living room. Hermione put her hands on her ears. She did not want to know what was going on downstairs. She also did not want to know what Barty was going to do to her when he was done with Winky. He would not leave her alone. She was sure about that.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione had barely slept. Partly because she was afraid that Barty would return to her room to torture her again, and partly because she had not eaten anything since breakfast the other day. Winky had not come back to check on her either, maybe Barty didn't trust his elf anymore. She knew that Barty would still be furious about the fact that she had sabotaged his potion, but she couldn't stay in bed forever either. She would only make him angrier if she didn't show up for breakfast. So with the greatest reluctance, Hermione forced herself to put on some clean clothes and she went downstairs. Of course Barty was already there. Sitting on his chair, wearing his usual black outfit. And he was definitely not happy. He motioned for her to sit down, not saying a word. So Hermione thought it best to make amends with him. She could try at least.

"Mr. Crouch?" she said carefully, waiting for a response. When she didn't get any, she decided to continue. "I am sorry."

Barty looked up and she saw the dangerous glint returning in his eyes. Hermione thought he was still not going to speak, but after a few moments of silence, he opened his mouth.

"Do you really think sorry is enough?" he sneered.

Hermione swallowed nervously.

"I told you that I would punish you severely if I found you breaking one of my rules. _You_ have broken two of those rules…"

Hermione picked up a piece of bread, just to have an excuse for not looking at him.

"But you will pay… Did you enjoy the Cruciatus Curse?"

Hermione still refused to look at him, she pretended to be interested in her piece of bread.

"Maybe I should do something worse than that…" Barty continued.

She took a cup of tea and wrapped her hands around it, trying to ignore the vicious threats the man on the other side of the table was making.

"I will go back to Diagon Alley today to pick up some new ingredients. I will make sure to make the shopkeeper of the apothecary feel how annoyed I really am," Barty said calmly, but Hermione knew that he was threatening her indirectly by threatening the poor shopkeeper's life.

"No," Hermione whispered.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, no."

"What, no? You'll have to be more specific, little girl."

"You will not hurt Mr. Mulpepper just because I pissed you off! It is not his fault! Punish me if you must, but don't hurt others," Hermione said.

Barty's eyes hardened, and Hermione felt that she had challenged him again.

"You will not tell me what to do. Surely you don't think I won't hurt anyone just because a little Mudblood tells me not to?"

No, of course she didn't think that. He was a Death Eater, a murderer who had done his time in Azkaban already. The man had killed his own father. He had driven Frank and Alice Longbottom insane. He had probably murdered many innocent Muggles and Muggle-born. Of course he wouldn't mind killing or torturing some innocent wizard.

"He doesn't deserve it," Hermione muttered.

"Oh? He _doesn't deserve it?_ " Barty now stood up and he walked over to where Hermione was sitting. When he had reached her chair, he squatted down in front of her. "And how did I deserve what you did to me then?"

"You are a murderer," Hermione spat, a little bit too confident. He was only inches away from her, and it was absolutely not comfortable.

"I was under the impression that I treated you pretty well. You have your own room, you were allowed to walk through the house. I _never_ touched you…"

Hermione now shifted away from him, trying to keep her distance.

"But then you broke my rules. And of course I had to punish you for that. But you did that yourself, you know?"

"Get away from me," Hermione hissed.

But that evoked the wrong reaction in Barty. He grabbed her hair and he threw her on the floor.

"DO NOT TALK TO ME LIKE THAT, FILTHY MUDBLOOD!" he yelled enraged.

"It is not as if you are exactly civilized, are you? Is that some sort of Death Eater thing? That you all need to be rude and violent?" Hermione snapped, looking up at his angry face.

"Oh, I am worse than just a Death Eater… But you'll find out soon enough…" Barty said menacingly. "Are you going to behave from now on?"

Hermione bit her lower lip, glaring at the man who was towering over her already hurt body.

"Why am I here?" she asked again.

"You'll find out soon enough. When it is the time. Now answer the question, witch," Barty growled.

"My name is _Hermione_."

"Still disobedient then?" Barty sneered. "I know what to do with you. If I can't trust you here on your own, then maybe I should take you with me…"

Hermione felt a little sprinkle of hope there. If he would take her with him to Diagon Alley, then maybe she could find help somewhere. Maybe she could even warn someone from the Order.

"And don't think I will allow you to try anything…" he added. "I will hex you with a spell that makes sure you will not be able to step away from me for more than five metres."

"They will recognize me…" Hermione said quietly.

Barty kneeled down and leaned in, close to Hermione's face.

"Polyjuice potion," he grinned. "You will take the form of a Muggle no one has ever seen. You will put on some dark clothes and they will see you as a Death Eater. Trust me, they wouldn't dare to question me about that."

All hope Hermione vanished immediately. And her hope was replaced by anger. She was angry with the man because he was clever enough to think this through.

"Step away from me, you bastard," she hissed. "It is bad enough that you keep me imprisoned here and that you torture me and your own house-elf without having the constant feeling that you are going to rape me."

Barty grabbed her chin and he forced her to look at him.

"I wouldn't give me any ideas if I were you," he smirked. "You are lucky that you are a Mudblood, I usually don't dirty myself to them."

Hermione spat in his face when he said that, only to find herself in an even tighter grip. She was making him only angrier with her behaviour. She was only going to be in more trouble. She wouldn't achieve anything with this. She had to learn to behave herself, no matter how many times he insulted her. He had the upper hand, after all.

"I'll find a way to hurt you for that," he snarled viciously. "Something far worse than a Cruciatus Curse…"

He kept staring into her eyes with the most dangerous look Hermione had ever seen. She couldn't find the strength to answer him back anymore. She had lost her fight at the moment. It was as if his anger had a hypnotic effect on her. Her heart was beating faster, her eyes were widened, and she couldn't speak anymore. She was just paralyzed, completely overtaken by his intense fury.

"WINKY!" he suddenly bellowed, letting Hermione go and standing up.

Winky immediately appeared and she bowed deeper than she had ever done before. Hermione noticed the bruises on her small body, which was probably Barty's doing. The elf was clearly hurt and terrified, but yet she was still loyal to her insane master.

"What can Winky do for young master?" Winky asked subserviently.

"Go find some dark clothes for the girl. We will leave in an hour."

"Yes, sir," Winky said softly and after another submissive bow, she disappeared again.

"What have you done to her, you monster?" Hermione growled, she couldn't stop herself. She wanted to defend the poor house-elf. After all, she had done nothing wrong.

Barty slowly turned around.

"Listen to me carefully, Granger," he said with a warning tone. "You will _not_ interfere with _my_ business. Am I clear?"

"You don't have a heart," Hermione said quietly, half hoping that he couldn't hear her.

But he had. And she paid for it by undergoing another Cruciatus Curse. When he lifted the curse again, Hermione found herself lying on the floor, panting heavily. Barty towered over her, his wand still in his hand and a manic look across his face.

"You are right. I _am_ a monster. But don't assume for a _second_ that I don't have a heart," he spat, and he left the room, slamming the door close behind him.

Hermione was left behind on her own, left to wonder what he had meant with those words. She didn't believe him. He did not have a heart. All he knew was hatred, he could never show compassion, love or grief. He was insane. A cruel lunatic. A Death Eater. And Death Eaters do _not_ have hearts.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi :) thank you all for reading so far!**

 **This is more or less the last chapter I had already written so far, so from now on it might take a bit longer for me to update. Or it might not, seeing that my summer holiday has started already... yay!**

 **So enjoy this chapter, let me know what you think of it, and l'll see you next chapter!**

 **Xxx**

* * *

The Polyjuice Potion Barty had given Hermione had made her considerably shorter, dark-haired and really unattractive. The dark clothes that went with it didn't help her looks very much.

"This is disgusting," Hermione complained. "How did you even get DNA from this girl?"

She hadn't asked herself that question before, and she didn't know if she even wanted to know the answer.

"She was a Muggle. And she annoyed me, _very_ much," Barty answered shortly.

"You- you have killed her? I refuse to go out as this dead girl! That is just disrespectful!" Hermione gasped.

"It will have to do. No one will recognise you like this. And remember… behave yourself. One toe out of line and I will make your life a great hell," Barty threatened.

"You are already doing that," she shot back.

"Good," Barty smirked. "But you don't know how much worse things can become for you…"

Hermione just glared back at him. She knew that she couldn't try anything in Diagon Alley. Barty was a mass murderer. He could easily blow up the street without warning. He was insane enough to do that. She would be very stupid to risk the lives of so many people.

"So? Are you going to behave?" he asked, his tongue once again flicking out of his mouth quickly. That was a warning for Hermione that he was on the edge of an outburst again. He would snap if she gave him an unsatisfying answer. So she nodded.

"Good. Winky! We are leaving!" he shouted and then he opened the door and grabbed Hermione's arm.

"What is my name, by the way?" Hermione asked, trying desperately to yank her hand away from Barty's tight grip.

"… Raven."

"Raven what?"

"Doesn't matter. If anyone tries to question you, you will call me. I'll deal with them."

"You will not-" Hermione started, but she was interrupted by the feeling of an apparition again.

Without warning, she and Barty had landed in Diagon Alley. It was surprisingly crowded. But then Hermione remembered that the school was about to start. It was probably crowded with students and parents who had to buy all their mandatory stuff before going to Hogwarts. Another reason not to provoke the dastardly Death Eater Hermione was with.

While walking through the street, Hermione noticed that everyone just stepped aside for them. She received several frightened faces, and some of them gave her angry glares. But as soon as she looked them in the eyes, they turned away from her, stepping out of her way quickly. Hermione wondered why all these witches and wizards felt so intimidated by just one Death Eater. But she also knew the answer to that; the Death Eaters controlled the entire ministry, the whole street was filled with supporters of Voldemort. And judging from what she has heard, Barty had quite a reputation. He was one of the most important Death Eaters Voldemort had, if not _the_ most important. She looked at the face of Barty who was walking next to her, and she saw an arrogant smirk. He was practically prancing through Diagon Alley.

When they entered the apothecary, several parents took their children quickly outside when they saw Barty. Apparently most people knew him, and who he was. Why didn't Hermione know that? Why didn't she know he was still alive? He must have been living isolated from the wizarding world until very recently, otherwise she would have known.

"M-mister Crouch, sir," Mr. Mulpepper said when he noticed Barty, bowing his head. "It is a pleasure to welcome you here again."

The way the man was standing there behind his desk told Hermione that is was anything but a pleasure for him. His hands were shaking, although he was trying to hide is by clasping them together.

Barty looked at Hermione and he gave her a cruel smile that didn't promise anything good. Hermione still feared that he was going to harm the poor man, just because she had been rude.

"I need new ingredients for my potion," Barty told the trembling shopkeeper.

"B-but… Yesterday I gave you everything you needed," the man said confused.

"Something went wrong."

"It is indeed a very advanced potion, sir. Very difficult to brew…" Mulpepper drivelled.

Barty advanced on him in a very menacing manner. He stopped in front of the desk, leaning in, only to make the poor man even more scared.

"Are you questioning my brewing skills?" he asked with a low voice.

"N-no! O-of c-course not! I know that y-you are a very s-skilled potioneer, sir! I w-wasn't s-suggesting that you are not c-"

"Stop gibbering, you useless sycophant," Barty growled. "Get the ingredients. _Now_."

Mulpepper's eyes widened and he immediately turned around and went to his magazine to get the ingredients.

"Is that how you treat people? Like dirt?" Hermione hissed.

"You have seen them, most people run away at just the sight of me. They know who I am. And they know what will happen if they do not what I want," Barty shot back. "Be careful, witch, speak again without my permission and you will find out why all these people run away from me."

Hermione shivered, not really wanting to find out. If it was only her he could torture, then she might have said something back. But it wasn't, there was a whole street in danger. Including innocent children. And the man was really a walking trigger. He was relatively calm right now, but that could chance in a second.

"There you go, sir," Mulpepper said when he had returned with a bag full of ingredients.

"Open it," Barty ordered.

Mr. Mulpepper did as he was asked, opening the bag and showing Barty the contents.

Barty shook his head.

"Tsk, tsk… are you trying to trick me, old man?" Barty asked, looking at the ingredients. Then he looked up to stare into Mulpepper's eyes. "You forgot the Murtlap. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

"I-I gave you the Murtlap already yesterday!" Mulpepper protested, with a small voice.

"And I asked you to give me _all_ the ingredients," Barty snarled.

"I am sorry, Mr. Crouch! I will get you the Murtlap," Mulpepper squeaked when he saw that Barty's eyes were narrowed into dangerous slits.

When Mulpepper wanted to turn around to get the Murtlap, Barty grabbed him by his back collar and slammed the man face-down on the desk. Mulpepper cried out apologies, but Barty wouldn't let him go. Hermione wanted to interrupt, but then she remembered that she didn't even have a wand on her. She would lose.

"Do you think I am stupid?" Barty asked with a menacing edge in his tone.

"N-no! P-please..."

"Then why didn't you obey me?"

"I d-didn't know you wanted that Murtlap!"

"Do you know what I do with people who annoy me?"

"N-no… Please, Mr. Crouch…"

"Do you want me to tell you?" Barty growled, and Hermione could see that Mulpepper's face started to look purple. Barty was choking the poor man. The only reply Mulpepper gave Barty was a high squeal.

"Answer me," Barty ordered.

"N-no!" Mulpepper choked.

"I torture them," Barty told him, ignoring Mulpepper's answer completely. "I torture them until they are begging me to kill them. Then I torture them again. And again. Until the pain becomes unbearable. And only then, when they are barely alive, when they have completely lost themselves, I will kill them. That is how I punish annoying people."

Hermione looked at the scene in front of her in horror, wondering how he then punished people who really pissed him off. She was lucky that he was holding back on her. Because Voldemort needed her for something else. But right now, he had no incentive to hold back at all.

"P-please!" Mulpepper pleaded.

"Begging me is not going to bring you anywhere," Barty growled, letting the man go. "Get that Murtlap, before I lose my patience."

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir," Mulpepper answered, still gasping for air.

"Just leave the poor man alone!" a girl's voice sounded suddenly through the shop.

Barty wanted to turn around to see who was commanding him, but he was hit by a powerful stunning spell that slammed him against the counter.

"Ginny!" Hermione yelled out in surprise before she knew it. She immediately covered her mouth when she realised what she had said. Even worse, she had caught Ginny off guard.

"Who are you?" Ginny demanded, pointing her wand at Hermione. "Do I know you?"

That moment of confusion gave Barty enough time to fire back a disarming spell at Ginny, who was now unarmed. And it was Hermione's fault. She should not have shouted Ginny's name. But Barty was apparently quite pleased with the fact that Hermione had been so careless.

"This is Raven…" he sneered, his wand still aimed at Ginny. "And I am Barty Crouch Jr. And you… you are little Miss Weasley. Aren't you?"

"What if I am? Where is Hermione? I know the Death Eaters have her. You must know where she is," Ginny snapped.

"You are looking for that Mudblood? I have no idea where she is," Barty lied, coming closer to Ginny. "You have grown since I last saw you…"

"Tell me where Hermione is or I will tell the Order that you are here and they will capture you," Ginny growled.

"Is that a threat?" Barty sneered, now pressing Ginny's body against one of the shelves. "You will not warn them. You are here on your own. No one to save you…"

"My parents are in the bookstore! They will come looking for me. So _step away_ from me," Ginny hissed.

"My, my, then I will have to make sure they don't find you, won't I?" Barty grinned and he hexed the door with his wand, which immediately slammed shut.

"Get your hands off her, you perverted bastard," Hermione said fiercely, but she knew that it was in vain. Barty clearly had the upper hand. And Hermione would only make him angry by talking to him.

"Stop talking, _Raven_. You don't want to spoil my fun, do you? It has been a very long time since I have bedded a Pureblood," Barty said, licking Ginny's jaw.

"Don't touch me," Ginny repeated and she spat in his face.

Barty growled and he slapped her hard across the face, his tongue darting out of his mouth as a sign of annoyance.

"You shouldn't have attacked me, girl," Barty hissed and he pressed his body against Ginny's again, his hands now feeling up her body.

"Are you doing this because I made you angry?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Hmm… I don't know…" Barty growled, his hands wandering off to more private parts of Ginny's body. She desperately tried to slap his hands away, but she couldn't move well enough due to his body that was pressed against hers.

"If you are, then rape me. Not her," Hermione said bravely. Though she wasn't so sure if she wanted him anywhere near her. But she had to try in order to save Ginny.

"She is a Pureblood," Barty said amused, licking his lips. "Much better than you."

"Please, Barty," Hermione said, realizing that this was the first time she had used his first name.

"I'll make you watch as I take her. Maybe you will learn to show me respect in the future," Barty said, his hands now loosening his own belt.

"You'll regret this," Ginny hissed.

"Please, please… I will… I will do anything you ask of me, but just let her go!" Hermione begged. "I'll be good from now on! I promise! I will do anything you want!"

She didn't know whether he was just ignoring her or if he was just so caught up in his own cruel desires, but he didn't respond.

"Please! Let her go!" she now yelled.

"I told you that you would be sorry," Barty sneered, his voice muffled because of the fact that his face was now in Ginny's neck.

Hermione didn't want to let this happen. Mulpepper didn't help Ginny either. The man was staring at the scene in horror, but he was probably too afraid of Barty to actually move. But Hermione wasn't. She grabbed Barty's shoulders and tore him away from Ginny. That gave Ginny more room to run away to the other side of the room. But it had only made Barty furious. His eyes had a manic mixture of insanity, anger and lust in them. And Hermione involuntary took a step back from him when she saw that.

"She can go back to mummy and daddy unharmed…" Barty said after a few moments. "But, you will have to do something for that."

"Anything!" Hermione said relieved.

"Promise me not to be difficult again and I will not touch her anymore."

"Yes! Yes, I promise!"

"So you are going to obey me from now on? Without trying to cross me?"

"Yes!"

"Right then," Barty said, and he raised his wand again at Ginny.

Hermione thought for a moment that he wouldn't keep his promise, that he would kill Ginny instead, but he didn't.

 _"_ _Obliviate,"_ he said, and Ginny got a blank expression on her face. He then opened the door, grabbed Ginny's arm and threw her out again.

Hermione had the uneasy feeling that this all went too easy. He could have easily taken Ginny right there and no one would have been able to stop him from doing it. So why did he let her go just because Hermione had given him her word? She had the unpleasant feeling that he had only been doing this just to get at her. He just wanted to punish her.

"We're leaving," Barty announced, taking the bag with ingredients from the counter.

"Um… sir?"

"What?" Barty asked Mulpepper annoyed.

"You… have promised me a payment…" Mr. Mulpepper said nervously.

Hermione held her breath. She had the feeling that Mulpepper should not have asked him for money right now. Especially not after what just had happened. Barty walked over to the much shorter man and he looked down on him with a disgusted look.

"Excuse me?" he asked venomously.

"Never mind, Mr. Crouch, I am sorry," Mulpepper tried to defend himself.

"No… you are absolutely right."

"S-sir?"

"I won't torture you in return for these ingredients. I shall revise my punishment I had planned for you for annoying me."

"T-thank you, sir," Mulpepper replied.

It was probably not what he had meant by payment, but he looked like as if he was already glad to be left alone.

"Instead I shall kill you instantly," Barty said with a deadly voice.

"NO!" Hermione shouted, but Barty had already raised his wand.

" _Avada Kedavra."_


	10. Chapter 10

"Why the hell did you do that? You didn't have to kill that man!" Hermione shouted angrily at Barty after the apothecary had fallen down on the floor.

Barty ignored her as he walked to the door, so Hermione blocked his path.

"Well?" she questioned him again.

"Out of my way," Barty told her with a low voice.

"You can't just murder people! He didn't do anything wrong!"

Barty let out an annoyed groan and he seized both her wrists and he pulled her out of the way.

"One more word and I'll give you a reason to scream," he growled.

It took a moment for Hermione to find out what he was talking about, but then she remembered that she was still in Diagon Alley, and that the street was packed with children. And Barty was capable of blowing up a couple of shops and he was definitely insane enough for it. So she clenched her jaw tightly to stop herself from yelling at him. She followed him quietly when he went outside, and she prepared herself for the apparition again. But when he grabbed his arm, he didn't immediately apparate them back to Crouch Manor. Instead he raised his wand, pointed it at the sky and he shot Hermione a wicked grin before concentrating on the spell.

" _MORSMORDRE!"_

The last thing Hermione saw was several frightened faces and she could hear people screaming in horror. People were pointing at the green skull in the sky. The next thing she knew was that everything was calm and quiet again. She was back in Barty's manor.

"You… you… you deranged monster," Hermione said, still trembling.

Much to her horror, Barty was still laughing. He really enjoyed this. And it completely freaked her out. She was so paralyzed that she didn't even notice that she had changed back to her normal form.

"This isn't funny!"

"No… it is _very_ funny. They needed a little reminder. I had to show them what would happen to people who disobey the Dark Lord," Barty grinned manically.

"Well, Voldemort is just as insane as you are," Hermione snapped.

Barty's smile immediately vanished, and his eyes hardened. He took a step towards her, his tongue twitching again. He had been doing that after he had killed Mr. Mulpepper, probably because he was so excited, but right now it probably meant that Hermione had angered him again.

"I don't think you will say that when my master has conquered the whole world. When all Muggles and Mudbloods kneel at our feet. Just like how it is supposed to be. And so will you. You will kneel as well," he told her, dangerously calm.

"I- I won't. Y-you will not win!" Hermione shouted.

"You need to learn some manners. I thought you promised me to be obedient in exchange for that Weasley girl. If you refuse to obey me from now on, if you continue speaking ill of me or my master, then perhaps I will have to pay your beloved parents a little visit…"

"Don't you dare!" Hermione yelled enraged, and she tried to attack Barty.

But of course, she was still unarmed, and therefore she was defenceless. Barty was much stronger than she was, so she found herself pinned against the wall in a matter of seconds.

"Listen to me, witch," he hissed. "You are going to be nice to me from now on. You are going to obey me. And you will _definitely_ not attack me…"

"Let go of me! Please… You are hurting me!"

Barty clenched his jaw, and then he let her go with a disgusted look on his face.

"Bastard…" Hermione whispered, but not softly enough.

"Excuse me?" Barty asked softly, his eyes burning with rage.

"Nothing."

"I heard you."

"Then why do you ask?"

"ENOUGH!" Barty yelled, making Hermione flinch at his sudden outburst. "TO THE LIVING ROOM! NOW!"

He didn't attack her. He didn't try to punish her. He only looked at her with a very intense glare. And for some reason, that was enough to make Hermione run to the living room as fast as she could. Especially after the vague threat he had made concerning her parents. She didn't want to think about what he would do to her parents if she would make him too angry. And he was already beyond furious. She had to be really careful from now on. She had to obey him.

"Sit down," his voice growled behind her when she entered the room.

Hermione choose to sit down on the nearest couch, only to do as she was told quickly.

"I am sorry, Mr. Crouch," Hermione heard her own voice saying.

It was better to betray herself than to endanger the life of her own parents.

"Yes… you will be. I can ensure you that."

"No! Really! I am sorry! I shouldn't have said the things I have said. I will listen to you from now on!"

Barty scoffed, looking down on Hermione. "Afraid that I'll hurt your Muggle parents? I think you are not sorry at all…"

"Please forgive me?" Hermione tried again.

"I don't show mercy. Not towards anyone. Especially not towards Mudbloods."

"No. I know. Not even towards your own father."

"Don't speak about my father in this house! Don't you dare… He deserved to die. He should thank me for killing him quickly," Barty hissed.

Hermione decided not answer him back. If he wanted her not to talk about it, then she should shut her mouth.

"As for why you are here…" Barty said, his voice softening.

Hermione waited for him to continue, but apparently Barty felt the need to sit down next to her on the couch. Very uncomfortably close. Close enough to make Hermione want to stop breathing. She could feel her own breath stocking. Her heart started beating rapidly, and her whole body wanted to leave that couch. But she couldn't just stand up. It would be rude. It would make him angry.

"The Dark Lord wants Potter. He wants the boy alive. And you… you are the perfect bait. Potter is useless without you. The Golden Trio… You are a very important for of that. So as soon as the schoolyear has started, you will send a letter to Potter. _Only_ to Potter. We are under the assumption that he won't be accompanied by anyone from the Order, so he will receive the message alone. And he is probably stupid enough to come for you on his own. With the Weasley boy. And then I will be prepared for them. We catch them, we bring them to the Dark Lord, and then I will decide what to do with you… So basically… you are completely under my mercy. Maybe, if you are really nice to me, then I might keep you alive…" Barty told Hermione.

Hermione felt shivers running down her spine. It was a very simple plan. And maybe because of its simplicity, it would actually work. Harry would really come for her on his own. He wouldn't ask for help from the order. He would think that he could handle everything by himself. He would just go to the manor with Ron and get himself killed.

"This is cruel… you can't make me do that! I can't betray my friends!" Hermione said.

"I admire your loyalty," Barty said with genuine approval. "It is a shame your loyalty lies with the wrong sort of people. Have you forgotten already what I told you?"

"That my life depends on you?"

"Exactly. So be a good girl, obey me, and maybe you will get to live. I can promise you that. And believe me, not many Mudbloods get to live," he sneered. "But I can protect you."

"I don't need protection."

"You do. From me. And from other Death Eaters."

"I would rather have you killing me than that I would have to live here for the rest of my life," Hermione snapped. "Besides, you don't even like me. You despise Muggle-borns. Why would you even want me here?"

"Would you rather be dead? Really?" Barty smirked. "Then you aren't as brave as I thought you were… Guess I still scare you, then?"

"No. You make me want to murder you."

" _Murder_ me?" Barty now laughed, only shifting closer to Hermione. "I thought you were going to be nice to me? Wasn't that what you said only minutes ago?"

"That was before you wanted to keep me here."

Barty bit his lower lip, but Hermione saw that there was a glint in his eyes she hadn't seen before. She then noticed that he was looking her up and down. And she didn't like the feeling of his eyes on her body at all.

"You know what the consequences are if you refuse to be nice to me," Barty said with a slightly hoarse voice.

Hermione had the feeling that he was going to do something to her far worse than torturing her with the Cruciatus Curse. She saw the look in his eyes. It was the same look he had when he had been almost raping Ginny.

"Would you please just… back off?" Hermione asked, trying to move away.

"It is your fault that I couldn't have that Weasley girl," Barty said. "So now I will have to find an alternative."

"I'm a Muggle-born. You don't want me," Hermione tried. She was panicking inwardly.

"I changed my mind. Really, for a Mudblood you are very attractive… and talented. And if you are nice then I won't even have to hurt you," Barty smirked, his hand snaking around Hermione's waist.

"Get your paws off me," Hermione growled, pushing his arm away.

She should have known that he wouldn't react to that well. He grabbed her wrists and he forced her down on the couch, keeping her in place with his own body.

" _Be nice_ ," he growled. "Are you going to be a good girl now?"

"Please, Mr. Crouch…"

"No. Call me Barty now. I asked you something."

With tears in her eyes, Hermione nodded. She had to think about her own safety, and about her parent's safety. Maybe if she cooperated, it would hurt less.

"Good…" Barty murmured. "You are not going to leave… you are mine now."

Hermione shut her eyes and decided not to fight him anymore. She would just let him do what he wanted to do with her, if that meant that her parents would be safe. That was the only reassuring thought she had at the moment. She tried to think about anything but the man who was on top of her, anything to distract herself from that gruesome man. But she couldn't. He kept demanding her attention, he was making sure that she felt every moment of it. Hermione didn't know if he did that because he wanted to punish her, or if he did it because he genuinely thought he was pleasuring her. Either way, she hated it. He was not hurting her in any way, but his sickening tenderness only made him more repulsive. She silently vowed that she would kill the Death Eater as soon as she had the chance.


	11. Chapter 11

A week after her first intercourse with Barty, Hermione had learned to be more obedient. She was more or less used to the threats he constantly made. But it was almost like as if he had also grown more used to her. He liked her snappy remarks, it only gave him a reason to hurt her. And apparently, he also liked to touch her. A lot. She didn't know if it was because he was really attracted to her or because he knew that she didn't like being touched by him, but Barty certainly seemed to enjoy himself. And she was letting him. Only to protect her parents from him.

Hermione had not heard anything about the Order since she had been captured by the Death Eaters. She had no idea what was going on, if they were looking for her, if they were still alive… She did know that Harry and Ron were probably on their way to find the Horcruxes by now. The new schoolyear had started already, and there was no way that they would be wasting time. But it also meant that she had to contact Harry and Ron very soon, to lead them straight into Voldemort's arms.

"Good morning, my little witch," Barty grinned widely when he noticed Hermione entering the dining room.

Hermione choose to ignore him, walking straight to the opposite of the table to sit down there. As far away as possible.

"My, you are even more rebellious in the mornings… Maybe I should try how much fun you are in bed in the early morning," Barty chuckled, but Hermione only shot him a furious glare.

"Don't give me that look," Barty warned her.

Hermione quickly made sure that her face was showing less annoyance, and she even managed a small smile. Winky brought her a plate with bread and cheese, and she just wanted to make herself some breakfast when suddenly she heard some noises coming from the hall. Barty immediately shot up, glaring at Hermione as if she was the one that was walking in the corridor.

"Have you been contacting someone?" he hissed venomously.

Hermione quickly shook her head and she glared back at him.

"How am I even supposed to do that? You have locked me up here," she shot back.

Barty hold his stare for a couple more moments, but then he drew out his wand.

"I hope for your sake that you are speaking the truth, Granger," he growled, and he walked towards the door, his wand in front of him.

Barty kicked the door open with his foot, so that he could still attack whoever it was in the hall. But Hermione didn't have to wait long to see who it was, because as soon as the door was kicked open, a small man appeared in the door opening with a shocked expression on his face. Barty put his wand away and he grabbed the man tightly by his collar, dragging him inside.

"Sneaking into my house, are we, Wormtail?" he asked coldly.

"I-I d-didn't think you were…"

"No. You didn't think. Maybe you should think in the future. I could have killed you. Not that anyone would have cared if I did…"

Hermione really hated Peter Pettigrew, but she almost felt sorry for him at that moment. Barty looked as if he was going to kill him, and Wormtail was certainly afraid for that.

"Why are you here?"

"T-to bring you a m-message from the Dark Lord, sir," Wormtail said.

"Well? What message?"

"H-he wants you to check on the Carrows at Hogwarts. It has been said that they have been using the Cruciatus Curse on first years during the first week. The Dark Lord does not approve, he wants them to _teach_ the Curse, not to use it on them."

"And why, of all people, did he send _you_?" Barty questioned.

"He… he trusts me?"

Barty leaned in, staring the smaller man directly in the eyes.

"Well, I don't."

"I came back for him! While no one else was there!" Wormtail defended himself, sounding braver than he looked.

"Not out of loyalty, you filthy rat. Just like all the others. I don't know why the Dark Lord is still putting up with all those traitors. Including you. If it were up to me, you would have all been dead by now. Or very seriously injured."

"Are you threatening me?" Wormtail whimpered, though Hermione wondered if it was meant to be a whimper.

"Tell me. Why are you _really_ here?"

"To send you the message!"

"Are you up to something?"

"No! Honestly!"

"I don't think the Dark Lord would ever send _you_ to bring a message to _me_. He would have come himself. Or someone else, if he was too busy. But not you," Barty said, advancing on Wormtail so that the small man had to walk backwards. "If I find you stealing something, or touching anything that doesn't belong to you, or trying make a fool of me, or something else I won't like, then I _swear_ …"

Barty now had Wormtail against the wall, glaring down at the trembling man.

"… you will be _very_ sorry."

Even Hermione was scared right now, even though she had no reason to be. There was just something about Barty that made her nervous. No matter what he did. She saw Wormtail nodding eagerly, and Barty stepped away from him.

"I need to check the potion first. We will leave as soon as I am ready," Barty announced, and after giving Wormtail a death glare, he left the room.

Hermione eyed Wormtail, who was still not quite at ease. And she couldn't blame him.

"He doesn't like you very much, does he?" Hermione said.

"I wouldn't talk if I were you. At least I am not a Mudblood," Wormtail sneered.

That made Hermione very angry. How could he say that? He was no better than she was, he was a traitor on both sides. He had no friends, and she had every right to hate him. And suddenly she wished that Barty would have tortured him. She almost _wanted_ Barty to come back just so that he could torture someone else for once.

"How dare you?" Hermione snarled.

"What? It is the truth. In Barty's eyes, you are the filth in this house, not me," he grinned.

"You've got some nerve suddenly. Only a few moments ago you were trembling against that wall, you were addressing him with _sir_ , and now you are pretending to be a man? Don't make me laugh. You are pathetic. You are a traitor, and you are disgusting."

Wormtail shrugged as he took some toast off the table and started eating it. Then he sat down in the chair next to her.

"I serve the Dark Lord now, so Barty can't hurt me…" he told her.

"Oh? You seemed to be pretty afraid just a minute ago."

"Shut up, Granger. You know nothing."

"And I don't believe he gave you permission to eat anything?"

Hermione was just irritating him, trying to get under his skin. She just hated him enough to do that. If she had her wand with her, she would have gone even further. She might have injured the bastard.

"The boy won't mind. Shut up before I curse you."

Hermione snorted. "I'd like to see you try."

"Maybe I won't have to if you are nice to me," Wormtail sneered.

That remark came eerily close to what Barty had told her over and over for the last week. Every time he wanted her under him in her bed, he told her to be nice. And she had put up with it, because she knew the dangers of not obeying him. He would torture her and have his way with her after that, rougher than he would have been in the first place. But she wouldn't allow someone like Wormtail to talk to her like that.

"Get away from me, or I'll call Barty," Hermione hissed, hoping that that would make him reconsider his words.

"Oh, really? Do you think he cares about what happens to you? Do you think he will protect you? He will only be angry with you for calling him for nothing," Wormtail said.

She saw Wormtail coming closer to her, and she closed her eyes, her brains working at top speed. There was a possibility that Barty would be angry if she called him, but maybe that was a better option than letting that rat come anywhere closer. Or maybe she could call Winky. She would help her out maybe. When she felt Wormtail's hand on her cheek, she opened her mouth to call for Winky's help. But she didn't need to shout, because some force already had torn Wormtail away from her. When she opened her eyes, she saw Wormtail on the floor, his toast spilled over his clothes. And then Hermione saw Barty towering over Wormtail's body. He was positively livid, if not even worse than that. His fists were clenched, his teeth gritted, and his eyes were black. His anger was radiating from his body, he was practically seething.

" _What did I tell you_?" Barty growled at the man on the floor.

Hermione felt slightly relieved to see Barty there, but at the same time she was scared. She didn't know why, though. She didn't mind him torturing Wormtail. That rat deserved it.

"Do _not_ steal anything and do _not_ touch my properties. And what are you doing only five minutes later? I find you here, eating toast and touching the girl," Barty continued, his voice cracking due to his barely contained anger.

"I-I am s-sorry!" Wormtail squeaked, trying to crawl away.

Hermione couldn't help grinning at that. She didn't feel sorry for the man at all. It was very rare for her to feel this way, she had never wished someone dead before. But Wormtail deserved everything that was coming to him. Maybe she could even fuel Barty's anger even more. Just to make sure Wormtail would regret his mistakes.

"You seemed to be a lot braver, while Mr. Crouch wasn't here. Didn't you say that he couldn't hurt you? Didn't you say that _that boy_ wouldn't mind if you just took what you wanted?" Hermione grinned.

Apparently, her remark had brought her the desired effect, because Barty started shaking with anger right now. He stepped closer to Wormtail and he pressed his foot on the rat's throat.

"Is she speaking the truth, Wormtail?" his venomous voice sounded.

"N-no! I-I would never s-say such a thing!" Wormtail whimpered.

"I think you are lying to me. You see, _Peter_ , there is a reason why the Dark Lord favours me. There is a reason why he treats me as his own son. I am loyal to him, unlike you. And besides that, we don't have to think long about who the more powerful wizard is here in this room, do we?" Barty snarled, increasing the pressure on Wormtail's throat. "Believe me when I say that he won't mind if I kill you right here."

"Y-You can't!"

"Oh, I can. No one talks about me like that. _No one_. Certainly not behind my back. Because when I find out… you are in grave danger…"

"I-I am s-sorry!"

"About what?"

"Calling you a boy!"

"Oh, so you admit it, then? Well, this little _boy_ is going to make you scream…"

"And I am s-sorry about eating the toast and touching the girl!" Wormtail screamed desperately.

"Good. Because I don't like it when people touch my property without my permission. You got that?" Barty asked with a low voice.

"Y-you c-care for the M-Mudblood then?"

"I don't think that is even any of your business, do you?"

"N-no, of c-course not, s-sir!"

"Then why did you _dare_ asking me such a question?"

Wormtail swallowed when Barty's boot decreased some of the pressure on his throat. His question left Hermione wondering. Barty had not given him an answer, did that mean he actually cared about her? No, that would be stupid. He was hurting her. He never cared about her.

" _Crucio_ ," Barty's cold voice sounded and he started torturing Wormtail.

The man was already begging for Barty to stop after one minute. That just proved how weak and pathetic the rat was. Hermione knew how terrible Barty's Cruciatus Curse was, but she had been going through quite a lot of them, and never had she started _begging_ him already after the first minute. She was stronger than that.

"Have you learned your lesson?" Barty asked softly when he lifted the curse.

"Yes! Please! Not again!"

"CRUCIO!"

The curse was even more intense now, Wormtail couldn't even find the strength to beg for mercy anymore. Hermione knew how it felt to be hit by that curse while Barty was so furious. But if she could survive it, then so could Wormtail. There was no reason to feel sorry for him.

"You do _not_ get to say what I should or should not do, understood?" Barty hissed, not lifting the curse this time. He was just consumed by his own fury.

Of course Wormtail couldn't answer him. The pain was too intense. There was no way he could form words with his lips right now. But Barty wouldn't grant him any sympathy.

"ANSWER ME!" he bellowed.

"Y-yes!" Wormtail squealed.

A few moments later, Barty decided that it had been enough and he lifted the curse finally. Wormtail was still on the floor, completely exhausted.

"Have you learned your lesson?" Barty repeated.

"Y-yes…"

"Speak up!"

"Yes!"

"Get out of my eyes before I kill you."

"I-I can't…" Wormtail whispered, lying broken on the floor.

"You can if you know what is good for you," Barty spat, and when he saw that Wormtail still wouldn't move, he shouted, "LEAVE!"

That made the man stand on his feet. Hermione could see that he was in a lot of pain, but apparently he loved his life too much to stay on the floor. She was sure that he had learned his lesson. He would never think about rattling Barty's cage again. She was silently very satisfied with the result, she was glad that Wormtail didn't get away with it unpunished. But the downside was that she was now left alone with a dangerous and psychotic murderer who was _very_ cross.


	12. Chapter 12

"So? What was all that about?" Hermione asked, although she did try to be careful, seeing that Barty was still fuming.

"What are you talking about?" he snapped.

"About you sticking up for me. Do you care about me? Is that it?" Hermione asked. "Because if you do, you are doing a very bad job."

"Drink your Polyjuice and we can leave."

"Why won't you answer my question?"

Barty leaned in, his hands on Hermione's chair, his face almost touching hers.

"You are my prisoner. Nothing more. You'd do well to remember your place her. I wouldn't let that rat touch you because you are _my_ property now. And he needed a reminder. But don't you think for a _second_ that you can talk to me like that. I am the boss around here, not you. Now drink you potion, or I will leave you locked up in your room, strapped down on the bed, with all the defensive spells you could possibly imagine. I don't think you will like that," Barty growled. "So do as you are told."

When he let go of the chair to stand up straight again, Hermione felt herself regaining her breath. It had felt so good when they had been both against Wormtail, but now he had turned against her again. He didn't care about her at all. He was only having his fun with her and he would kill her as soon as Harry was in his claws. Why did she even think that he cared about her? He couldn't love anyone. He wasn't a Death Eater for nothing. No wonder he had survived Azkaban. Dementors could only take away your happy memories and suck out your soul. But Barty had no happy memories, his life was complete darkness. And he definitely didn't have a soul.

"Fuck you," she whispered, her hand flying to her mouth when she heard what she had said. She never swore.

Barty seemed to be frozen for a moment, just as surprised as she was. It looked like as if he would just ignore her, he was relatively calm. He just looked at her with wide eyes, but something told Hermione that he wouldn't let her get away with it. And she was right. The next instant she felt herself flying across the room, and she slammed against the wall, slumping down on the floor. For a moment, everything was a blur. When she could see properly again, she saw Barty's enraged face only inches away from her own.

"You know what?" he hissed with an eerily calm voice, wand still in his hand. "You _will_ fuck me. And this time, you shall please me. You will do everything in your power to please me tonight. If you don't…"

He leaned in even closer, a smirk forming on his face.

"… I will take someone else to do it for you. The little Miss Weasley perhaps? It would be no problem for me to pick her up from school…"

Hermione knew that he was being very serious. He _would_ carry out his threats. No matter how mad he was, he was still a man of his word. And he was not stupid at all.

"You got that, my little Gryffindor?"

"Are you trying to insult me with being a Gryffindor?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrow as if she was unfazed by his threat. "At least I am better than that scum from Slytherin, like you."

That only resulted in a hard slap across her face.

"My master was in Slytherin. Don't you dare insult him."

"What? You are… not?"

"I was in Ravenclaw," Barty replied without elaborating further. "Well? Am I understood?"

"Y-yes," Hermione answered, hearing the tremble in her voice.

"Good. Now don't test my patience. Drink your potion and we will go to Hogwarts. I don't think I need to warn you about trying to contact people at school, do I? You know that I won't tolerate that. If I see you talking to anyone, I will personally make sure that that person will be tortured and killed. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Hermione answered quietly.

When Barty walked away from her, she took the Polyjuice Potion from the table and tried to drink it without spilling too much with her shaking hands. Why wouldn't he just leave her alone in the house? He could easily just lock her up in her room. He was probably just trying to scare her off, he wanted her to see what he did as a Death Eater. He probably wanted to make her more and more afraid of him by showing her how he could torture and terrify other people. And it was working. Hermione's fear for the man had only grown in the last week. He was watching her constantly, like a predator would watch his prey. He wouldn't leave her alone in the house, he enjoyed her fear far too much. He only liked her presence because he _knew_ she was going to break, while she was doing everything in her power to not appear insecure or vulnerable. She still didn't want to give him that satisfaction.

"I must admit, your own body is far more beautiful," Barty said when he studied her transformed body.

"Please keep your opinions for yourself."

"Alright, I'll save them for tonight," Barty chuckled.

Hermione chose to ignore that last remark, and then she felt that Barty had grabbed her arm to apparate them. Much to her surprise, they were in the Great Hall of Hogwarts.

"I thought it was impossible to apparate in Hogwarts?" she questioned.

"The Dark Lord owns this castle now. And with the right Dark Magic, you _can_ apparate," Barty grinned, clearly pleased with himself.

With the same arrogance, Barty started to walk through the castle, on his way to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom where the Carrows would be teaching right now. He received some respectful nods from several students, who apparently had learned how to behave around the Death Eaters during their first week at school. Although there were still several students who shot him dirty looks. Never when Barty could see them, though. They were smarter than that.

"Really, this place looked so much better when I was a teacher here," Barty pointed out when he saw what a mess it was in the corridor leading to the Defence classroom. "There is no need to make such a mess of the place."

Hermione chuckled involuntary. This was the first sensible thing she had heard from Barty since she had been stuck with him. She tried to keep her distance when he opened the door to the classroom. She wanted to be as invisible as possible. Especially when she noticed that the classroom was filled with first years. She couldn't let herself go right now, not when all those defenceless children were in Barty's reach. He would not hesitate to hurt them. He would actually _enjoy_ hurting them. So Hermione couldn't provoke him, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Carrow!" Barty shouted at the man who was standing in front of the class.

"Ah, if it isn't Crouch Junior. Have you come to enjoy the lessons?" Amycus Carrow sneered. "With the lady who is unknown to me… New girlfriend, Barty?"

"She is not my girlfriend."

"Really? I was already starting to worry about your taste in women…"

"I can do better than that," Barty snapped.

"Sure, whatever you see," Amycus scoffed, receiving slight laughter from the first years in the classroom.

They were silent immediately when Barty shot them a glare.

"You could always have a go at me," the woman in the corner of the classroom said, who Hermione presumed to be Alecto Carrow, Amycus' sister.

Barty ignored her and he turned his glare back to Amycus, whose grin now vanished.

"You are not my friend, Amycus, so don't talk to me like one. I am here on behalf of the Dark Lord himself. He is not pleased with you and your teaching methods," Barty said.

"Oh? And why is our master not here himself, then?"

"Because he has better things to do than going out to punish all his unfaithful servants. And as his right hand, I shall be more than happy to do it for him."

"Right, so you are here to lecture us?" Amycus snorted, but he couldn't quite hide his nervousness.

Barty smirked and he walked over to the front of the classroom, his wand in his right hand and his tongue darting out occasionally. Hermione could see a couple of first years cower away when he past their tables. Amycus also took out his wand, ready to defend himself.

"Put that away," Barty ordered, gesturing at Amycus' wand.

"Not before I know what your intensions are," Amycus replied.

"Use magic on me and you will wish you were never born," Barty threatened.

Amycus quickly put his wand down on the desk, and his sister did the same when she saw Barty glancing at her. Then Alecto walked over to Barty and she stroke his arm gently in a seductive manner.

"You can use magic on me…" she said.

Barty rolled his eyes and he pushed her out of the way, taking another step towards Amycus.

"You must know that the Dark Lord takes loyalty _very_ seriously. And so do I. Loyalty and obedience are the most important aspects of trust. You failed to carry out the Dark Lord's orders. You have been using the Cruciatus Curse on these little first years without our master's permission."

"I am teaching Dark Arts, not Defence. They need to _experience_ the Dark Arts."

"Exactly," Barty hissed. "You are _teaching_ the Dark Arts. Children should learn the Dark Arts. You need to teach them, you don't use it _against_ them…"

"I do teach them! Older students, they get to use the Unforgivable Curses on the smaller students," Amycus shot back.

"I don't think you understand me… The Dark Lord does not wish you to use the Curses on the students. No matter how old they are. You can use it as punishments, but not regularly. They need to be educated to join the Dark Lord's army. Are we clear?"

"Who told you this anyway?"

"That doesn't matter. Are we clear?"

"I will not teach these little vultures how to use those curses. They can use them against us."

Barty chuckled, though there was clearly coldness in his laugh.

"That all depends on how much you can keep your authority. Shall I show you how we can teach them the Cruciatus Curse?" Barty asked, not really waiting for an answer.

Barty scanned the classroom and the several frightened faces sitting behind the tables. Then he grabbed one of the Hufflepuff boys by the arm and he dragged him to the front of the class.

"What is your name?" Barty demanded.

"C-Cedric, sir," the boy whimpered.

"How ironic. I knew another Hufflepuff boy named Cedric three years ago," Barty grinned. "He seemed to be a lot braver than you. Take your wand."

Hermione gritted her teeth in anger. Barty had been responsible for Cedric Diggory's death. Maybe not directly, but he had certainly played a role in it. And he even seemed to be amused about it.

"You know the spell. Just point your wand at professor Carrow here and say the word," Barty ordered.

The boy was trembling all over, his wand at the ready. Hermione knew that it didn't matter what the boy did. He could use the Curse against Amycus and be punished for it later by the man, or he could refuse to do it and be punished by Barty. And the boy seemed to know that.

" _C-Crucio_ ," he barely whispered, and red sparks spat out of his wand, making Amycus laugh.

"See, Barty? They are not ready for it."

"You hate the Carrows, right? You hate them for being such unreliable traitors. You want to torture them. Go on, try harder," Barty hissed, trying to fuel the boy's hatred.

"Crucio!" the boy now said louder.

This time, Amycus fell down on the floor and his eyes had widened in shock. Barty laughed and patted the boy on the head lightly. The young Cedric shrank under Barty's touch, but he didn't say anything.

"Well, I think we have a result here. Don't you agree, Amycus?" Barty said triumphantly. "This is how you teach children the Dark Arts. Let them practise on each other. And don't let them forget who is in charge, you don't want to lose your authority, right?"

Amycus quickly stood up, glaring at Barty.

"You made a fool out of me, Crouch. You will pay for that," he growled and he tried to grab his wand.

But Barty was quicker. He waved his wand and made Amycus fly across the room.

"Trying to attack me, eh? No one can challenge me like that apart from the Dark Lord," Barty hissed venomously. "I'll make sure to inform the Dark Lord about this. I don't think you are qualified for this position."

"What? You can't! The Dark Lord has promised me this job!"

"I can and I will, you filthy traitor. I might take over your job myself. I came back for the Dark Lord while you ran away. I survived Azkaban for him. I helped him return. _You_ did nothing. You came back to him out of fear, because you _knew_ he would find you. And he forgave you, because he can use you. But I will _never_ forgive you for betraying him," Barty told the man, his eyes darkening. "And I will punish you for your lack of loyalty."

"No! Don't you dare! I'm warning you, Crouch! Don't-"

"CRUCIO!"

The next moment, Amycus was screaming on the floor. It went on for a couple of minutes, until Alecto decided to stop Barty.

"Please, Barty, he has had enough," she murmured, stroking his enraged face.

Barty lifted the curse and he turned towards Alecto, still with hatred in his eyes.

"Don't think I'll let you go unpunished," he growled, clenching his jaw.

"Oh, you can punish me," she whispered huskily, making sure that the children couldn't hear her. "Why don't we find a room and you can show me what a man you are."

"What makes you think I would sleep with a traitor?" Barty whispered back.

"I'll be good, I will be very good to you, honey," she answered, her hand slipping under his t-shirt. Barty was with his back to the class, so they couldn't see what was going on. "God, you are _fit_ … I want you for my own…"

"Trying to avoid my Cruciatus Curse, are we, Alecto?" Barty breathed when he felt her hand trailing down towards his trousers.

"I think you want me, don't you?"

"You are a feisty witch, I like that…" Barty growled, lowering his wand for a moment.

"Then have some fun with me…"

"You are a traitor. A _pathetic_ one. You would even sleep with me in the hope that you'll be on good terms with me then. It doesn't work like that. It makes me angry that you only flatter me for your own good, you know that?"

"I don't do that, Barty, you are a truly handsome man…"

Barty suddenly seized her hands and he pulled her even closer than she already was.

"Messing with me is a really bad idea," he snarled, throwing her on the floor next to her brother who was still recovering from his torture. _"Crucio."_

Now it was Alecto's turn. She screamed when Barty tortured her mercilessly, she shouted at him, she begged him, but Barty wouldn't budge. He only lifted the curse when he thought she had had enough.

"Now, I would strongly advise you not to try anything stupid for the next couple of days. I am sure you will hear soon enough what the Dark Lord has planned for you."

"You can rot in hell," Amycus growled, trying to stand up.

Hermione held her breath, not knowing what Barty would do with that insult. But to her surprise he turned around and walked away.

"We'll see who goes first," Barty shouted over his shoulder when he had almost reached the door. "Enjoy your classes!"

He then grabbed Hermione's arm and he pushed her roughly outside.

"You- let him go," Hermione said.

"I would have killed him if I had stayed longer for insulting me like that. But I can't do that. He is the Dark Lord's responsibility. I had to walk away. I need a drink. Now."

He apparated them back to Crouch Manor and he immediately called for Winky. Hermione rushed back upstairs, hoping that Barty wouldn't come after her. Especially not if he was planning to drink. She didn't know how he would be when he was drunk, and she didn't want to find out. Maybe, if she was lucky, he would forget that she was still in the house.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi everyone! I hope you have enjoyed the story so far! But please give me some feedback if you have any so that I know what you think of this fic, because I really don't have a clue right now :p**

 **This chapter ends quite darkly, so you are warned... The next chapters will probably be even darker, so you need to warn me if I need to rate the audience up to M!**

 **Also, I am not quite sure what I want to do with Barty at this point. Should I keep him this twisted way or should I try to make him one of the good guys?**

 **Thanks for reading so far and for following and favoriting! I love you!**

* * *

Since the two days after their visit to Hogwarts, Hermione had not been bothered by Barty. At least, so far. And she was thankful for that. He had not spoken a word to her the last day, probably because he had been stuck with a hangover from the first night after Hogwarts. Hermione had been half expecting him to come over to her room while he was drunk, but she had not seen him since their return from Hogwarts. Not that Hermione minded, she was already happy that he hadn't come for her. Because she didn't want to found out how he was when he was drunk. But that would mean that today he would be sobered up. And that made Hermione very anxious to go downstairs for breakfast.

But she had to. She had to go downstairs, or he would be angry with her again. So she decided to walk down the stairs, very reluctantly.

"Good morning…" she mumbled when she saw Barty sitting at the table.

She was more or less used to his usual reply after three weeks of living with him. He never gave her a 'good morning', he usually replied with a growl. This time, however, he ignored her entirely. He just kept reading the Daily Prophet while drinking his tea. And she couldn't care less. She was actually happy that he didn't pay any attention to her. She had to enjoy her times she was left in peace, because she had no idea if Barty would change his mind. But he gave her an idea when she wanted to walk away after breakfast.

"Don't think I have forgotten about our agreement," he said when she stood up.

Hermione just glared at him and she wanted to go back upstairs, but then she remembered something she had to ask him.

"Can I borrow some books?" she asked.

"Why?"

"Because I like to read. And I saw your quite impressive book collection during the first week I was here. Winky told me to ask you when I wanted to read something, that's why. So?"

"Why don't you ask me nicely?"

"Can I please borrow some books?" Hermione sighed.

Barty stood up and he called Winky, ordering the elf to come with Hermione.

"Sure. Winky knows which books you are allowed to read... So make sure you listen to her," Barty said somewhat dangerously.

Hermione gave him a thankful smile, which wasn't exactly her intension, but she was just so grateful that she finally got something to do. She followed Winky to the library on the other side of the manor, where she immediately started to collect some attractive titles. She even managed to find a copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ , which she had missed reading so much. It always gave her great pleasure reading that.

"Master Barty is starting to like you, Miss Granger," Winky smiled when she waited for Hermione to collect the books.

"I don't really think so…"

"Winky knows! Master is even letting Miss reading his books."

"Your master is a terrible person. He has raped me, Winky. Not just once. He has murdered people. He had tortured me and several others. And he is loyal to the darkest wizard alive. He does _not_ like me. And I don't like him. I am a prisoner."

"Miss should not speak about master like that!" Winky said shocked. "Master has had a very difficult time! Winky's previous master did not treat him well! But he cares about Miss Granger, Winky knows that!"

"How? How do you know that, Winky, please tell me, because I don't see it!"

"Master is _protecting_ Miss Granger…" Winky almost whispered as if she was telling the greatest secret in the world.

" _What_?!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Winky does not know if she should tell…"

"You can tell me."

Winky visibly swallowed before continuing, and she looked around to check if they were alone.

"Master Barty started drinking after he came back from Hogwarts. Winky had seen him and Winky knows how master is when he is drunk. Master becomes very unstable, violent… He asked Winky to make sure he wouldn't come anywhere near Miss Granger. Master Barty didn't want to hurt Miss Granger, master Barty is a good man," Winky told Hermione proudly.

"What?" Hermione said disgusted. "How can you be so happy about that? He probably did that because he wanted to be sober when he hurt me. Probably because he knew he could possibly actually show some emotion when he is drunk. He didn't want to lose control, that is all. He didn't do that do _protect_ me."

Hermione heard what she had said, and it made more sense than Winky's words. Although she was impressed that Barty had thought about her and had not come to her room. She saw that Winky was almost crying when she heard Hermione's words.

"Miss Granger should be good to master Barty, he needs people to care for him," Winky said quietly.

"Voldemort is all he can think of. That is all he can care about. He doesn't need love. He only needs to see people being hurt. Now if you don't mind, I am going to my room to read something."

Hermione gathered her books and she left to her room. But she couldn't concentrate on the books, she could only think about what Winky had told her. And particularly about what Winky had told her about her 'previous' master. Hermione knew that she had been talking about Barty Crouch Senior, Barty's father who was murdered in cold blood by his own son and transfigured into a bone. Barty had told her before that his father deserved to die. But no matter how bad his childhood was, it gave him no reason to hurt other people. He was insane, he was one of the most loyal Death Eaters alive, and that was not something he could simply blame on bad parenting. The fact that he saw Voldemort as his own father was just because the darkness was all he could care about. Voldemort was the only person who could satisfy his bloodlust and his need for revenge on the world. By joining Voldemort, he could easily enjoy the fears people had, he could bend other people to his will only because no one had ever listened to him when he was younger. And Hermione didn't feel any sympathy, she would kill him as soon as she had the chance.

When it was time for dinner, Hermione reluctantly put away the book she was reading and she went downstairs, only to find that there were two other people sitting at the table. She recognized one of the two. The first one was a younger man who she knew as Gregory Goyle, the second one she presumed to be Goyle's father. Barty was sitting in his own chair at the head of the table, his feet resting on the table, while Gregory and his father were sitting on either side of him. When Barty noticed Hermione, she wanted to silently retreat to her room.

"Come here, Hermione, sit down. This won't take long," he said, gesturing towards the chair at the other head of the table.

Hermione realized that this was one of the rare occasions he called her by her first name. And it only made her feel more uncomfortably when she sat down.

"So, why come to me? You know that I completely agree with the Dark Lord about you. You are not really a servant who is trustworthy. And I have dealt with quite a few traitors this week, so I urge you not to test me," Barty said, sounding surprisingly patient.

Mr. Goyle gulped when he saw Barty's eyes staring at him, but he decided to continue.

"We know that you are the closest to the Dark Lord from all the Death Eaters. He sees you as more than just his servant. He has placed you higher than any of us. He gave you privileges most of us can only dream of."

"Enough with the flattering, get to the point. I don't have all day," Barty interrupted annoyed.

"Yes. So I want my son to join the Death Eaters, but the Dark Lord doesn't think very high of me…"

"Neither do I."

"No, no I know that. But I thought that maybe you could have a word with the Dark Lord about Gregory. To give him a chance..."

"What? You want _me_ to praise your son in front of our master just to give him a chance to become a Death Eater? Don't make me laugh…"

"I have money!"

Barty laughed in a way that made Hermione shiver all over. The coldness of his laugh apparently also gave Gregory and his father chills, because they shrank back a bit. Barty removed his feet from the table and rested his arms now on it.

"Do you think I need money, Goyle?"

"No! I just thought that… never mind."

"Right. Because if your son wants to join us, he really should go to the Dark Lord himself. He should prove himself first."

"Can't he prove himself to you?"

"Why? Are we scared? Too scared to face your own master, is that it? Are you _scared_ , Gregory?" Barty asked amused.

Gregory quickly shook his head, staring at the table.

"He still goes to Hogwarts, he might be useful for you there, since you are going to take over from Amycus? Maybe you could think of something? Please, Barty, I just want a future for my son. I can't help it if you don't like me, but my son might be different," Goyle said.

"I replace Carrow?" Barty said surprised. "And when has that been decided?"

"Yesterday, I heard it from Malfoy. I thought you knew."

"No. I didn't. And let me tell you, you are wasting your time here. And you are wasting mine. He might indeed be useful at Hogwarts, and I might be able to keep an eye on him there to see if he does what is expected from him, but you really should go to the Dark Lord himself. I am not going to help you with that."

"But-"

"No but, you will visit the Dark Lord. And Gregory himself can ask him to become a servant. And if he is too scared to ask, then he won't make a good Death Eater."

"I… understand," Goyle said defeated. "Thanks anyway. Gregory, come on."

"I suppose I'll see you in class then," Barty sneered. "I can't wait."

Hermione could see that Gregory wasn't that eager to have Barty as a teacher, but he remained polite nonetheless.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Crouch," he said with a nod.

Barty waited for both of them to leave the house before turning his attention to Hermione, who had silently started chewing a piece of bread.

"Seems we are both going back to Hogwarts," Barty smiled.

"Yes. Seems like it."

"So? Have you enjoyed your books?"

"Yes."

"Why are you so edgy?"

"You are going to destroy only more lives at Hogwarts. You are going to hurt my friends. I don't want you to do that, you are a crazy lunatic."

Barty stood up and sat down on the table close to where Hermione was eating.

"What did I tell you about calling me names like that?"

Everything in Hermione was screaming that he was going to snap again. He would become dangerous again, he was threatening her. She had to calm him down, she had to get the upper hand. And there was only one way to achieve that. She had to neutralize him before he would hurt someone.

"You- are right," she said with difficulty. She was certainly not going to enjoy this. "I am sorry, Mr. Crouch. You have been very good to me so far. You have let me in your house and you have given me food. I… shouldn't have been so rude and ungrateful to you…"

"That's more like it," Barty grinned.

"I want to make it up to you," Hermione said softly, standing up and stopping in front of Barty, who slid down off the table. "Can I… Can I call you Barty?"

"You can. I am glad you are starting to see that this is the best thing for both of us… Keep this up and you might live after we have captured Potter," Barty smiled.

Yes, killing Harry, that was what this was all about. And it only made her angrier.

"Hmm… I'll be good to you, I'll be obedient from now on," Hermione purred, just to keep her appearances up. "I'll do anything you want…"

Before she knew it, Barty had turn her around and pressed her against the table. He started to kiss her and he opened the first buttons of her blouse. Hermione decided to play along for a bit, and she kissed him back, her hands under his shirt. Alecto had been right, he _was_ quite well-built for such a skinny man.

"You _are_ fit," she groaned.

"You know how to please me," Barty grinned, lifting her up slightly.

Hermione waited for Barty to finish with her buttons, before she made a move. When his hands were done with the buttons, she felt confident enough to move her hands to his jacket, in which she knew he kept his wand. So instead of taking off his jacket, which was probably what Barty thought she was doing, she found his wand and snatched it quickly out of his pocket, not allowing him any time to realize what was happening. Hermione pushed him off her with force and she aimed Barty's wand at him.

"From now on, you are going to listen to me, bastard," she growled.

At first, Barty looked quite shocked and offended, but then he started laughing. He was just laughing, while _she_ had his wand in her hand. She was the one who overpowered him now. The wand was not really feeling great, but it would have to do. She could still hurt him very badly with it.

"Really? Are you going to _kill_ me?" he sneered.

"I'll torture you first," Hermione said coldly.

She waved the wand and made a cut in his chest. Then she waved the wand again and made him fly across the room, slamming him hard against the wall. After that, she cut him again and again.

"STOP IT!" he bellowed, but Hermione just continued. "You are not getting away with this… you little witch. Pretending to make love to me and then doing this? You are- ARGH!"

Hermione had now thrown one of the chairs against his head.

"Do you really think I won't kill you?" she hissed. "After all you have done?"

"Master Barty!" Winky's voice sounded through the room.

Hermione's blood ran cold. Of course, stupid. Winky would choose the side of her master. She would help him. And she had just injured him. He would be livid. He would be furious. She had chosen the wrong place to do this. She had been so stupid.

"Disarm her, Winky," Barty groaned.

Winky of course obeyed her master's orders, and the wand flew out of Hermione's hand, leaving her vulnerable again. Barty stood up, looking at the gashes she had made in his chest, and then he looked at Hermione again. And he was indeed furious. But nothing like Hermione had seen before. He walked over to her with difficulty before grabbing her chin with surprisingly much force.

"You thought this was a good idea?" he hissed. "I was prepared to be gentle with you, I was even prepared to _forgive_ you for what you have done to me earlier… But now…"

"I-I am s-sorry? It w-won't happen again!" Hermione whimpered quickly, but she knew it wouldn't be remotely enough. He would never forgive her for this. "W-Winky! H-help!"

"Winky won't help you. It seems you forgot who is in charge here."

"P-please…"

Barty released her chin and he grabbed a handful of hair, slamming her down on the table. She could smell the blood she had caused when he spoke in her ear with the most cold and hateful voice she had ever heard.

"I'll kill everyone you love for what you have done. _Everyone_."


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you to those who have given me some feedback! I really appreciate it :) It gives me more motivation to keep writing and it also inspires me, so thank you :)**

 **I will rate the audience up to M, mainly because of the reason CityCat has pointed out; there are mentions of rape. Besides that, there are also multiple mentions of sex and there is quite some violence in this fic, so it might be better to play it safe and to rate this fic M (although I don't think things will become more graphic than what I have been writing thus far).**

 **Also,** ** _please_** **tell me if you are annoyed by my English (grammer), because I think there is always room for me to improve :) Certainly because it isn't my first language... And also tell me if there is something wrong with the punctuation, because I know how awful it is to read a fic with bad punctuation :$ (and I am not familiar with the rules concerning punctuation in the English language, so I don't even know if I am doing it right :p)**

 **Thank you for reading so far!**

 **XXX**

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"Please! Please don't do this! I am begging you!" Hermione tried over and over. "Please forgive me… I never meant to hurt you!"

"You most certainly did… You decided to act so foolishly, now you'll have to deal with the consequences…" Barty growled, pulling on his leather coat again. "Or did you really think I was making empty threats? I wasn't."

"No, no, no please! Just punish me! I know, I have gone too far! I know that! It was my fault! So hurt me, not anyone else… please! Can't we just be even know? You hurt me, I hurt you."

Barty rolled his eyes.

"You don't get it, do you? Silly girl… you were told to _obey_ me. I don't have to hurt you as long as you just do as you are told. Winky!"

"No! Please!"

"If you say please one more time, I'll make you watch how I murder your parents. I will torture them in front of your eyes…"

"No, please don't…"

"There you go. Alright, I'll bring them over to here. Then you can say a couple of last words to them," Barty grinned. "Winky, I am leaving."

"Yes, master," Winky said with a bow.

"Make sure Granger won't be going anywhere in the meantime."

"Yes, master," Winky repeated.

Barty shot Hermione one last glare before he apparated, leaving her sitting on the floor with her head in her hands.

"Why didn't you stop him, Winky? He is going to kill my parents!" she sobbed. "Do you still think he likes me?"

"Miss Granger should not have attacked master. You has made master Barty angry," Winky explained. "Shall Winky make chocolate for Miss Granger?"

"No, Winky! I just want my parents to live! I swear, if he kills them, I will rip his body to shreds. I will not rest until that man is dead. Who the hell does he think he is? They are _Muggles_ for Merlin's sake. They can't even defend themselves against him!"

"You is not to threaten master Barty like that!" Winky said sternly. "Master Barty wanted Miss Granger to be nice to him, and you has attacked him!"

"I am not threatening him. I am promising that he will die."

Now Winky burst into tears.

"Master Barty is not evil! You is evil! You is threatening master!"

"Threatening me? My, my, Granger… Things are not looking too well for your dear Muggle parents," Barty's voice sounded again when he had apparated back, now with Hermione's parents.

That was very quick. Hermione had not expected for him to come back with her parents so quickly. They were both still conscious. And they were both struggling to get free. But apparently Barty had somehow hexed them, because they couldn't get free from his grip. When he let them go, they couldn't walk, they were just glued to the floor.

"So… what are your names?" he asked them with a cold smile.

"Jean," Hermione's mother answered, glaring at Barty.

"Robert," her father replied. "What is the meaning of this? You can't just abduct us. Hermione? Who is this man? Has he hurt you? Has he kidnapped you from home? You have no idea how worried we were!"

"Sure, sure," Barty said before Hermione had the chance to reply. "Well, to make a long story short, I am Barty Crouch Junior, I am a wizard, I have kept your daughter here for most of the time indeed, and I will keep you here as well for as long as I see fit."

" _Who_ are you?" Jean asked confused.

"He is… well, you know that I have told you about Voldemort, right? The darkest and most evil wizard alive? He is one of his followers. And he keeps me here because I am part of a plan involving capturing Harry," Hermione answered. When she saw her mother wanted to say something to Barty, she warned her. " _Don't_ , mom, he is not sane. Please don't provoke him…"

"Have you hurt my daughter?" Robert asked, narrowing his eyes.

Barty's whole expression turned dark, and he leaned into Robert's face, their noses almost touching.

"What if I have? What is a little Muggle like you going to do about it? Hmm? Oh, I am _shaking_ with fear, Mr. Granger."

Hermione actually _was_ shaking with fear. Now that she knew what Barty was planning to do with her parents. She didn't want to inform her parents about that. They would panic. She didn't want that for them, although she had the feeling that they already saw that something was very wrong. Hermione had been crying, after all. And they could see that.

"Do you wish to know _why_ you are here?" Barty asked with a smirk.

"Let them go, Barty," Hermione told him angrily.

He turned around furiously and he backhanded her hard across the face, causing her to almost lose her balance.

"How dare you call me by my first name? Filthy Mudblood. But you get your wish, I'll let them go," he said.

Hermione found it very dubious that he would let them go that easily, but he only lifted the spell that glued her parents to the floor. He would not let them go if she just asked him. Her parents still didn't move, though. Probably too scared of the wand that was pointed at them.

"On your knees, Muggles. _Now_ ," Barty hissed.

They obeyed him, but they didn't stop glaring.

"What are you going to do to us? What are you going to do to Hermione?" Jean asked.

"Please B- Mr. Crouch, don't hurt them, just don't. It is me you want, not them," Hermione pleaded again.

"Winky? What did Granger say about me when I was gone?"

"M-Miss Granger has told Winky that she is going to kill you, sir," Winky told her master.

Barty turned back towards Hermione, who was now trembling all over.

"Now why would I show you any mercy then?"

"I-I didn't mean to say it like that! It was just because I didn't want you to kill my parents!" Hermione tried, but she knew that the damage was already done. Barty looked murderous. He definitely wanted to kill her parents, no matter what she would try.

"You are going to _kill_ us! You are insane! You should be in prison! You sick bastard! I will not allow my daughter to stay anywhere near you!" Robert yelled suddenly, lunging at Barty.

"CRUCIO!" Barty roared, hitting Hermione's father with the torture curse.

Hermione screamed for him to stop, and so did her mother. The curse seemed to be pretty intense, her father was in a terrible pain. And she couldn't watch that. She couldn't bear seeing her parents being in so much pain. So she fell down on her knees in front of Barty and she clutched his legs, begging for him to stop. Her braveness had not brought her anywhere, it was now time to be the coward. She had to try anything to save her parents. And if that meant losing herself on the way, then so be it.

"Please! Stop! Please! I am begging you! You are hurting him!"

Barty just laughed. He was just laughing like a maniac, his tongue darting out of his mouth while he tortured Robert even more. He was _enjoying_ every second of it. How could she have been so stupid? She should have been more careful around him. She had ruined everything.

"That is the point of it, you stupid girl. It is not torture if it doesn't hurt," he replied coldly, finally lifting the curse and leaving the man panting on the floor.

"What did you do to him?!" Jean shouted, checking on her husband.

Barty ignored her and instead of answering her question, he grabbed Hermione's hair and he forced her to stand up. Then he forced her to walk backwards until she was trapped between him and the wall, her face still wet from her tears.

"This is what happens when you try to hurt me, Granger. See how frightened they are… All because of your mistakes."

"Get your filthy hands off her, you bastard," Robert croaked with difficulty, trying to stand up.

He wasn't successful though, because Barty was already with him before he could even lift his body. Barty kicked Hermione's father in his face and he placed his foot on his chest so that Robert couldn't try to stand up again. Not that he looked like if he could, because the torture curse had exhausted him already.

"You will not talk to me like that. I am a Pureblood wizard, you are a dirty Muggle. You will keep your mouth shut now, or I will make sure that you watch while I torture your pretty wife here. Is that understood?" Barty growled.

He didn't even wait for an answer, he just walked back to Hermione, who was still pressed against the wall, completely paralyzed.

"I don't think you realised how serious I was before. Do you now? Do you see now how _dangerous_ it really is to make me angry? Well?"

Hermione nodded meekly.

"And do you understand why you should listen to me?"

She nodded again.

"Why don't you just kill us if you must? Why do you keep torturing my daughter?" Robert asked weakly.

A now furious Barty turned around and stormed over to where the two parents were sitting. He clearly wasn't used to being disobeyed, and he clearly didn't like being disobeyed.

"Please, dad! Please, just shut up!" Hermione whimpered.

" _Crucio_ ," Barty snarled again, now with his wand aimed at Hermione's mother.

Jean's earlier terrified face now turned into an extremely painful one. But her husband's screams were almost even louder than hers, even though she was the one who was in intense pain right now. Robert was screaming and shouting at Barty at first, as if being angry would help, but when he noticed that that didn't work, he started begging him for forgiveness. And that seemed to make Barty very pleased. The madman grinned when he saw the desperate face of Hermione's father, together with the fear and anger in the Muggle's eyes. And Barty enjoyed that, he obviously enjoyed seeing the pain and fear in someone else's eyes. It was almost as if he continued his curse only for his own satisfaction, as if he was feeding on the fear of both parents. But he didn't go too far, he stopped before Jean would pass out.

"Lesson learned?" Barty hissed.

"Y-yes!" Robert cried, taking his wife in his arms.

"To answer your question… I keep you alive because I think that your daughter will be extra careful around me that way. With her knowing that you two are in danger, she will do anything I tell her. Because she knows what will happen if she doesn't obey me," Barty sneered. "Isn't that right, my little witch?"

Hermione gritted her teeth and she clenched her fists, feeling her nails dig painfully in her palms. He was certainly a clever man. He was deranged, insane, evil, but she couldn't say that he wasn't smart. Normally she would love to meet a man who was both intelligent and handsome, there weren't many guys out there who could live up to those standards. Wait… did she just think of him as handsome? He wasn't attractive _at all_. He was standing there, torturing her and her parents and she was thinking about him as an actual human being? He was nowhere _near_ a handsome man, he was a murderous psychopath, who was only ruining her entire life. And how much she wanted him to be wrong, she knew he was telling her the truth. She _was_ prepared to do anything when her parents lives were at stake. She had no other choice. So she nodded once again in defeat.

"You know… maybe we should continue what you have started earlier… You know, before you decided that it was a good idea to steal my wand? I rather liked how were acting back then… you were all over me, _swooning_ , even. Do you think you could do that again?" Barty smirked.

His tone made Hermione's blood run cold. She had the feeling that she knew what he was suggesting, and she didn't feel like complying. Certainly not with her parents in the same room. But she also knew that he was in control, he was the one with the wand in his hand. And both Hermione and her parents were defenceless against him. He could do anything he desired right now.

"What- what do you want from me? You don't love me, you don't even like me…" Hermione said, trying to keep her voice under control the best she could.

"I don't need to love you to _want_ you… like I told you earlier, you are pretty and talented… And you are _brave_. You are so unbelievably brave. Why would I go look for other girls when you are here in my house, completely at my disposal?"

He was now really terrifying her. His tongue was flicking again, making him look like an absolute maniac. But Hermione knew better; he _was_ an absolute maniac. And the worst thing was that she had to play his game before he would turn his attention back to her parents.

"Don't you… want to go upstairs?" she proposed.

"My, you are eager. Mind you, your parents are in the same room, girl. I don't think they want to see you acting like a little whore, asking me to join you in bed," Barty grinned.

He was teasing her. He was embarrassing her. Punishing her.

"I didn't ask you that. I asked you if we could go upstairs."

"Same thing. Why don't you start right here? Hmm?"

"Don't you… want me all for your own?" Hermione purred, pulling him closer. She felt disgusted with herself that she was actually doing this.

"Of course I do, don't you worry… I won't embarrass you in front of your parents. If you behave, of course…" he told her softly with a wolfish grin that didn't promise anything good.

"Will you let them go if I do?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"Perhaps… that depends entirely on how you succeed in pleasing me tonight," Barty answered. "Tell me… are you looking forward to it?"

"No," Hermione answered, making sure that he wouldn't get the wrong impressions.

"Ah, ah," he tutted. "That was not really what I wanted to hear…"

"Right then!" Hermione sighed. "I am looking forward to it… to you, next to me, to give myself over to you and to please you the best I can."

"I can't wait," Barty growled.

"Now can I go? I want to sleep before you ambush me in my bedroom," Hermione said, a little bit too harsh.

It made Barty smile in a cruel way. It was almost as if he was turned on by her fierce personality.

"I expect you here for dinner."

"I'd rather have some sleep for a while."

"Really? Surely you don't want me to have dinner here on my own… with your sweet parents?"

Oh yes. Her parents were still there with him. She had been panicking so much, she had wanted to leave the room so desperately, that she had almost forgotten about her parents being still in the same room. Of course she didn't want him to be alone with her parents during dinner. In fact, she didn't want him anywhere near them at all. Who knows what he would do to them when she wasn't there to keep an eye on him?

"Right… I'll stay here."

"Good. Winky!"

Winky immediately appeared, and she greeted her master with a bow.

"You can serve dinner. We eat early. I've got more to do tonight…" Barty said.

Winky bowed again and she snapped her fingers, making food appear on the large table. Hermione's parents were still sitting on the floor, trying not to give the Death Eater a reason to torture or kill them. So they were just looking at him expectantly. And that apparently annoyed Barty very much.

"It is very rude to stare, don't you have manners?" Barty snarled when he noticed the Grangers staring at him.

Hermione scoffed at that, quietly enough for Barty not to hear her. How could he talk about manners when he didn't have any himself? Well, maybe he had manners, but he was certainly not decent and he had no morals at all. Her parents were so much better than he was.

"Winky, you can give them their plates with some food on it," Barty ordered.

Winky immediately ran over to the table and she started filling two plates. Then she picked them up and she stumbled over to Mrs. and Mr. Granger to hand them over their plates.

"No, Winky…" Barty stopped her. "Put the plates down. They can eat from the floor. And I don't want to see them using their hands."

"What? That is-" Hermione said, but she stopped mid-sentence when she saw Barty's glare directed at her.

"They should be happy to be given any food at all… As soon as you have convinced me that you have learned your lesson, they can go home happy and alive with their memories wiped out. If not… I will take them with me to Hogwarts, and I will make sure that I kill them the slowest and most painful way possible. I can promise you that. Now stop talking and eat your dinner," Barty snapped as he sat down in his own chair.

Things were getting really hopeless for Hermione now. She had to keep her parents safe by making Barty satisfied, but she also knew that he could still hurt them or others when she had. He could easily apparate back to her house to pick them up again and to start again. Why would he keep torturing her like that? Why wouldn't he just make her contact Harry and be done with it? After all, that was what he _really_ wanted. He wanted Harry Potter for his master. Voldemort was his one and only priority. He was probably just using her for his own entertainment. He probably liked the game, the fear of others. It was just a hunt for him. And when he was done with his hunt, he would enjoy the kill.


	15. Chapter 15

One week after Barty had released her parents and brought them back to their house without any memories of what had happened back at Crouch Manor, Hermione had found herself a new prison; Hogwarts. And she had never thought that life at Hogwarts could be even worse than life at Barty's house. He was now literally keeping her with him _all_ the time. He was extremely careful when it came to her, he probably knew that she would take every opportunity she had to escape. And he couldn't risk her escaping through one of the fireplaces. The fireplaces at Hogwarts were not secured, so with a bit of floo powder, she could easily escape. But she couldn't do that with him constantly watching over her. Sometimes she wished that he would just keep her locked up in a room, but apparently he thought that being stuck with him was a much more terrifying experience for her. And he was right about that.

Luckily, he had given her a new Polyjuice Potion with a new body with it. One that was prettier than her last form. Barty had told that it was because he didn't want to be seen with such an unattractive girl. Hermione didn't mind at all, it was definitely a better feeling than first. Although Barty seemed to be enjoying her new body as well, which gave her an uneasy feeling when being around him. And that was practically all the time. During breakfast and dinner in the Great Hall, during his free time, even during his lessons.

The lessons were probably the worst. She had to sit there all the time, without being able to say anything about his cruel teaching methods. She had even been face to face with her fellow students, Neville, Ginny, Dean, Seamus… but she couldn't show them that she knew them. Barty would be there the entire time. And he would not hesitate to apparate back with her to her parents to finish what he had started. He would kill them.

"Aren't you hungry?" Barty asked her during their breakfast in his office when he noticed that she was dreaming again.

"No."

"Oh, come on… I know this isn't the same food Winky always makes us, but the elves here are certainly not bad. You need to eat. You are no use to me dead," Barty told her.

"I can't help it," Hermione snarled. "This all makes me sick. You make me sick, the way you treat your students makes me sick, your arrogance amongst other teachers makes me sick, and I _hate_ the fact that you keep me with you wherever I go with that disgusting Polyjuice. I hate it."

It came out of her mouth before she knew it, but it was also very relieving. She finally got it off her chest, after putting up with it for almost a week. But when she looked up to meet Barty's eyes, her heart started beating frantically with fear. His eyes were narrowed, and everything about him was screaming danger.

"That is the whole point, Hermione, you are my _prisoner_ , you are mine to do as I please. So you will behave," he told her with a low and surprisingly calm voice.

"S-sorry," Hermione whispered quickly.

Barty grinned, satisfied with the result he got out of her.

"Why do you want me with you all the time?" Hermione asked, trying to have a small conversation with him.

"Excuse me?" he asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Hermione knew that he didn't like being asked personal questions. She had tried it before, she had tried asking him about his family, or about his friends, but he always told her not to interfere with his life. So she had to tread carefully.

"Are you… lonely?"

"Lonely?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I mean… you can't have many social contacts apart from the Death Eaters and Winky, isn't that bothering you? Is that why you want me around? To have some sort of human contact?" Hermione asked quietly.

Barty sat up straight in his chair, and for a moment Hermione thought that he was going to shout at her, that he would curse her again. But he didn't.

"Listen to me, girl," he said with a smooth voice. "It is not your place to ask me that kind of questions. Actually, I think that was rather rude, don't you think?"

"I- I won't ask you again! Just wondering…" Hermione quickly sputtered.

She had the feeling that she was still right about what she had said. Even though he would never admit it, he _was_ a lonely man. And he would never know real friends. Maybe he couldn't see that, maybe he was too far gone for that.

"I don't need anyone else. I have killed my father because he deserved it, he ruined my life. He killed my mother. I loved her, she was the only person I have ever loved, you know? Apart from this one… why am I even telling you this? It is none of your business, eat your breakfast. I expect a visit from Gregory Goyle any minute."

For a moment Hermione thought to have seen something else in his eyes, when he talked about his mother, but it disappeared as soon as it had come. That was something entirely new to her, after weeks of living with him, she had never heard him talking about something like _love_. Maybe he could actually show some kindness instead of hatred. Maybe there was something human left in him.

"How could your father have deserved to die?" she questioned him further.

"Enough," he growled, his fists clenching.

"But-"

"I SAID ENOUGH!" he roared suddenly, slamming both fists down on the table, making the tableware rattle dangerously.

His insanity had returned again, Hermione knew that she should never have brought the subject up. He was particularly sensitive when it was about his past, and she was certain that his youth must have been dreadful. But still, she couldn't find any reason to sympathise with him. It had been his own choice to join Voldemort.

There was a knock on the door, and when Barty called for them to enter, Gregory Goyle appeared in the door opening. His face was completely pale, almost white, and Hermione knew that he had heard Barty's explosion. She was secretly happy to see Gregory, because that meant that Barty wouldn't out his anger on her. Besides, she didn't have to drink her Polyjuice around Gregory, which gave her a feeling of misplaced confidentiality.

"Goyle. Sit down," Barty told the boy, who complied immediately. "Stop being so nervous, there is no reason to be afraid of me… as long as you have nothing to hide, that is. Because that is what this is all about, I need to be able to trust you."

Hermione snorted, loud enough to receive a glare from Barty, who gave her a questioning look.

"As if Death Eaters can be trusted…" she clarified herself.

"You have a point there," Barty said. "They can't be trusted. But, if I find out that you are hiding something from me, Goyle, something that is important for me or for my master, then I can promise you that you will regret it."

Gregory nodded heavily.

"So you will do whatever I tell you to, and you will do everything in your power to serve me and the Dark Lord. If you value your life. Am I clear?"

Barty stared Gregory in the eyes intensely, and Hermione could see how difficult it was for Gregory not to lose his breath. She knew how intimidating Barty could be, so she really couldn't blame Gregory. It was almost funny to see the school bully being so frightened. He probably didn't even want to be a Death Eater, it was presumably his father who wanted to be on better terms with Voldemort. Gregory was far too scared to be doing this.

"The Dark Lord has decided to give you a chance. He has decided that you might be of use here at Hogwarts, so I am going to make sure that you will make yourself useful. We, the Dark Lord and I, have revised our previous plans about getting Potter. Now I am not going to inform you about all the ins and outs of the plan, Granger here doesn't need to know everything either, but I need you to do something for me. You will get me some Veritaserum, you can get some in Slughorn's office," Barty told him.

Again, Gregory nodded eagerly. He looked like as if he wanted nothing more than to leave the room.

"You will not fail me. If you do… you will receive punishment you might not be able to survive entirely," Barty warned, his threat very clear. "I expect you back tomorrow morning, with the potion."

Now Gregory did open his mouth, for the first time since he had entered the room.

"B-but s-sir… H-how am I supposed to-"

"I don't care," Barty cut him off. "Leave now, I want to finish my breakfast."

Gregory quickly stood up, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

"Well? What was that about? What is your new plan? Why can't you just get the potion yourself? Why do you need it anyway? It is illegal to use that potion," Hermione fired her questions.

"My new plan can wait for later. You shall see. I am going to make use of my location here at Hogwarts," Barty smirked. "And I don't think you can lecture me about things being illegal. I don't really care that much about that."

When he kept staring at her, Hermione turned back to her breakfast. She had the feeling that his 'new' plan was not promising anything good. Not for her, not for her friends, and not for Harry. And the fact that he needed Veritaserum also made her very uneasy. Why would he need that? More importantly, whom did he need it _for_? But she had the feeling that she would find out soon enough.


	16. Chapter 16

The next day, just before the classes would start, Gregory visited Barty and Hermione again. He looked rather proud, so that probably meant that he had succeeded his task.

"Do you have the potion?" Barty asked, already holding out his hand.

Gregory nodded eagerly, and he handed over the potion quickly.

"Does this mean that… I can join now?" he asked nervously.

Barty shrugged.

"I am not the one who decides that. I'll talk to the Dark Lord. Now leave, you don't want to be late for class, do you?"

Gregory quickly left the office again, while Barty studied the small flacon with the Veritaserum in it. He opened it and checked carefully if it was the potion he needed. It obviously was, because he closed the bottle again and he put it in away in his coat. Hermione knew better than to open her mouth to say something about it.

"Seventh year Gryffindors in my class again today, Hermione. Looking forward to it?"

Hermione frowned and she shook her head.

"Depends on what your lesson will be," she answered.

"Time to continue what I started three years ago, don't you think? A couple of Unforgivables? What do you think?" Barty asked.

"What I think? No Unforgivables at all."

"Imperius Curse?"

"No!"

"You know, I could learn them how to resist the curse… One of the things I happen to be very good at. Don't you want me to teach them that? How to resist a powerful Imperius Curse?" Barty asked, leaning in closer.

"Yeah, right. Since when are you an expert in everything that is Dark Magic?"

"Since I have been living under the Imperius Curse for years… Oh right, I have never told you that. My _dear_ father has kept me under that curse for years, imprisoned. He took my own free will away from me with an Unforgivable Curse because he was scared of who I was. Can you imagine? A ministry official… keeping his own son under the illegal Imperius Curse. Now I think I have done the world a favour by killing him…" Barty said darkly. "So, yes. You can say that I am quite the _expert_ , since I have learned to resist him. And I am sure he had learned his lesson."

That kept Hermione quiet for a moment. She had never known about that. She had always seen Barty Crouch Sr. as a strict but honest and good man. She had never really thought that he would actually do something like that to his own son. But, on the other hand, with a son as Barty Jr., she would probably have done the same. The man shouldn't be allowed to walk around freely.

"And you think that using an Imperius Curse on your students is going to make you feel better? Is that a way to get back to your father?" Hermione snapped.

"Well, I'll let them practise the curse themselves of course. Or should I teach them the Cruciatus Curse? I am sure that Longbottom will enjoy that very much…"

"You have seen Neville last time he was in class," Hermione growled, glaring at Barty. "He hates you, he can't stand looking at you. Don't you _dare_ using that curse in front of him. It will break him."

Barty just smiled wickedly. He knew exactly what to say to make Hermione afraid of what he was going to do. Because she didn't know. That was the worst thing about him. She had no idea what he would do next.

"Take your potion. We need to take care of a class," Barty told her.

Hermione took the disgusting green potion that made her turn into her now improved version of 'Raven' again. Then she followed Barty down the stairs leading to the classroom, where several students were already waiting. Including the people Hermione knew as her friends. She wondered why they still turned up in the lessons. All they learned was how to fight for Voldemort's army.

"Good morning, Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors… Time for something new today," Barty announced.

It was just like Hermione had feared. He was teaching them how to use the Imperius Curse on each other, and if they refused, he would even torture them. And all she could do was sit there and watch. And Hermione couldn't understand why no one attacked Barty, they had wands, they were with many. They could easily kill him. But for some reason they just kept silent and very obedient. Perhaps it was Barty's intimidating appearance, or the fact that he was pretty fast when it came to duelling, so maybe they were afraid that he would still their attack coming. Or maybe they were afraid that he would come after them and their families if they would attack him. And Hermione couldn't blame them, she knew that he _would_ go after their families.

It was very difficult to watch how her friends were being forced to use the Unforgivable Curses on each other, it was even harder to watch how Neville was trying to keep his distance from Barty as much as possible. Hermione knew that he was trying his best to keep himself from attacking Barty. But Barty seemed to realise that, because after the lesson, he called Neville's name.

"Longbottom," he said loudly to the other side of the room where Neville was hiding himself. "You can stay here."

"Sorry, sir, Herbology is next. I can't just skip classes," Neville replied harshly.

"I am sure Professor Sprout won't mind if you tell her that you were here with me. Come here," Barty ordered, waiting for the rest of the students to leave the classroom before closing the door firmly.

"It is time that you and I have a little chat," Barty said, sitting down behind his desk and motioning for Neville to sit down as well.

"What about? I don't want to talk to you, you tortured my parents," Neville hissed, not sitting down.

Barty let out a cold laugh, making Neville visibly shiver.

"Would you like to end up in the bed next to them at St Mungo's? Sit down, boy," Barty ordered.

Now Neville sat down, but not without giving Barty the best glare he could muster.

"Trying to be the brave Gryffindor? It doesn't suite you, so quit the attitude."

"Where is Hermione?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You've heard me, you bastard. Hermione Granger, where is she? I know the Death Eaters have her, and I want you to tell me."

Barty's eyes narrowed dangerously and he stood up, leaning over the desk to glare down on Neville, who managed to keep up his glare while trembling slightly.

"What did you call me?" Barty asked, his voice almost a whisper.

" _Where_ is Hermione?" Neville repeated, smart enough not to insult Barty again.

"Please just listen to him, Neville…" Hermione said softly from where she was sitting.

Neville looked at her, a questioning look on his face.

"Who the hell are you anyways?" he asked.

" _That_ , my dear boy, is your precious Hermione," Barty sneered. "Currently in another form due to Polyjuice Potion. Now you are going to answer one of _my_ questions. Where is Potter?"

"Hermione?" Neville asked with wide eyes, ignoring Barty. "Really?"

Hermione nodded sadly, but Barty didn't like the fact that they wouldn't pay any attention to him. He leaned in even further and he grabbed Neville's collar, pulling him closer to him.

"I believe I asked you something," he growled venomously.

"I believe I said that I have _nothing_ to tell you," Neville hissed in return.

"Is that how you talk to a Professor? It is sir for you, or Professor Crouch. Is that clear?" Barty told him.

"I don't talk to Professors like that, but I _do_ talk to Death Eaters like that. You are _not_ a Professor," Neville spat, grabbing Barty's arms, trying to push him away.

"Answer my question, before I lose my patience with you. And believe me… you don't want that to happen."

"I don't care, I won't talk."

"Then let's play a little game together, shall we?" Barty sneered, pushing Neville away so hard that the boy fell down on the floor. "Hermione? Come here, will you?"

The fake sweet voice of Barty made her want to vomit, but she complied nonetheless.

"Take Longbottom's wand."

"What?"

"You heard me. Take. His. Wand."

Hermione walked over to Neville, who stood up quickly, and he slowly gave her his wand. He obviously didn't want to, but he knew that if he wouldn't do it, Barty would just as easily force him.

"Now you will point the wand at him, and you will use the Cruciatus Curse," Barty hissed, burning hatred in his eyes.

"No… no, I- he is my friend!" Hermione protested.

"So? He was disrespectful. He deserves punishment. If you refuse to do it, then I will…" Barty told her, circling around her with his wand at the ready as well. "And I will make it _hurt_."

"Please, Neville," Hermione felt the tears in her eyes. "Tell him what he wants to know!"

"I don't know anything!"

"Do it _now_ , Hermione."

She shook her head, dropping the wand. She would never hurt someone like that in her life. Besides, what was the point? Was Barty just doing this for fun? He had a Veritaserum, after all. He didn't need to torture someone for information. He just had to give them a drop of the Veritaserum.

"Stupid little Mudblood. Fine. If you insist… _Crucio_ ," Barty growled, pointing his wand at Neville. "That is what your parents felt, boy, that is how they went insane. And I will do the same thing to you if you refuse to tell me where Potter is…"

Neville just gritted his teeth, refusing to scream. So Barty intensified the curse, more and more until Neville was actually screaming. But not as loud as Hermione, who was shouting at Barty to stop.

"STOP IT! JUST STOP IT!" she screamed.

The scene was absolutely terrifying. Neville was screaming in agony, Hermione was begging for Barty to lift the curse, and Barty was just laughing and enjoying the terror before he finally lifted the curse. Then he squatted down next to Neville's exhausted body.

"Painful, isn't it… _Very_ painful… Maybe you'll last longer than your pathetic parents. But you might not, since I have grown stronger since then… How are mum and dad now? Are they having nightmares about me?" Barty asked, practically gloating. "Are they still screaming? After all those years?"

"I can take this torture," Neville croaked.

"Oh, _sure_ … You know, your parents used to say the same thing. But they ended up begging, because they were so _weak_. They were begging me not to hurt their only son. They begged me to hurt them, and not their son. And it didn't bring them anywhere," Barty sneered. "Because I am hurting you _now_."

"I-I will never break! Kill me if you must!" Neville shouted.

Barty rolled his eyes, pressing his wand against Neville's neck.

"That endless bravery… It makes me tired. Now. Where is Potter?"

"I won't tell you!"

"CRUCIO!" Barty yelled again, watching how the Gryffindor started convulsing again.

Hermione was now silently crying, but that didn't have an effect on Barty either. Nothing had an effect on that cruel and violent man. He was now torturing Neville both mentally _and_ physically. He only stopped when Neville almost lost consciousness.

"For the last time…" Barty growled, circling around Neville's almost lifeless form. "Tell me where Potter is."

Neville just shook his head slowly, still panting heavily. His body was still convulsing, even though there was no curse anymore.

"You are really pissing me off…"

"Then kill me," Neville whispered.

"Are you prepared to beg me for it?"

"N-no…"

"Then you shall stay alive. And I will make sure that you are going to _feel_ my anger for the rest of your time at Hogwarts," Barty grinned.

"I-If you m-must…"

"I might even go say hello to your lovely parents. Just to see how they are doing," Barty added.

"Don't. You. Dare," Neville said hoarsely, trying to stand up. But he was stopped by Barty's foot that hold him down again.

"Wow, easy, Longbottom. You are not quite ready to attack me. You still don't want to talk?"

"I'd sooner kill myself."

"Not even for the sake of your dear family?"

"You can't intimidate me, you sick bastard."

Barty chuckled in the most unpleasant way.

"Time for another option, then," he sighed. "Shame. I was really looking forward to having you here, telling me everything I wanted out of your free will. But fine."

Barty shrugged and he casually took the small bottle with Veritaserum out of his pocket and he opened it.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked him.

Neville shook his head, but he couldn't hide his fear anymore.

"Veritaserum. Let's see if you still don't want to talk when you have taken this," Barty said smugly, grabbing Neville's chin to pour the liquid down his throat.

If Neville knew anything, if he knew about ways to contact Harry, then Harry would be a dead man walking. So Hermione kept her fingers crossed, hoping that he didn't know anything. But if anyone would know anything about Harry's whereabouts at Hogwarts, then it Neville. And apparently, Barty knew that as well.


	17. Chapter 17

"Do you know where Harry Potter is?" Barty asked as soon as Neville had swallowed the Veritaserum that would force him to speak the truth.

"N-no," Neville croaked.

"Does the Order of the Phoenix know?"

"No."

"Do you have ways to contact people outside the castle who know where Potter is?"

"Y-yes…"

Now Barty's eyes were practically glistening with pure excitement. He was getting somewhere. Which Hermione didn't like at all.

"How?"

"The… Room of Requirements," Neville said quietly.

"Finally we are getting somewhere. Show me where this room is," Barty smiled.

Neville shook his head. Of course, Barty could get the truth out of him now, but he couldn't force him to do anything. But Hermione had the feeling that he would get it out of Neville anyways.

"Fine, my fault, I should have been clearer… Where can I find this room?"

"In Hogwarts."

" _Where_ in Hogwarts?"

"The seventh floor…"

"Where on the seventh floor?" Barty asked impatiently.

"It is hidden."

"Then how do you find it?"

"You can't."

"How do you enter it?"

"Through the door."

"And where is the door?" Barty asked, growing more and more irritated.

"Hidden."

Hermione shrieked when Barty suddenly grabbed Neville and slammed him down on the desk in anger. He was not the most patient man, and he seemed to be ready to murder Neville.

"What is the name of your contact, boy?" Barty hissed.

"D-Dumbledore."

"First name?"

"Aberforth."

"And _how_ does this Aberforth contact Potter?"

"I- I don't know…"

"Where does he live?"

"On the other side of the corridor," Neville answered.

But that was not the answer Barty wanted to hear.

"Do you think being a smartass will bring you anywhere? It won't. If you don't tell me where this man lives _right now_ , then I will go to your parents, and I will torture them again."

"St Mungo's is protected, you bastard. So don't try to threaten me."

"My dearest Hermione," Barty said silkily, turning around slowly. "Where exactly is this Room of Requirements?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I have never been there."

"Are you lying to me?"

"No."

"Longbottom… is she lying?"

"Y-yes."

Barty let go of Neville, and he started advancing on Hermione until she couldn't walk any further backwards. She was trapped again.

"You know it is a bad idea to lie to me, don't you, girl? Let's try again. Where exactly is this Room of Requirements?" Barty snarled, his eyes burning.

"I- I can show you…" Hermione answered, knowing fully well what would happen if she would lie to him again.

"That's a good girl. You are starting to learn," Barty said contently. "See, Longbottom? We are getting somewhere."

Neville gave him a dirty look in return as he stood up to pick up his wand. But Barty picked it up before he could even get anywhere near his wand.

"You won't be needing this," Barty said, putting the wand in his pocket. "You first, Hermione… Show me where this room is."

"Don't do this, Hermione, you don't have to listen to him," Neville pleaded.

"Yes, I do. I don't have a choice. I am sorry," Hermione said downheartedly.

"Hurry up, I don't have all day," Barty growled.

Hermione quickly did as she was told, and she knew that both Neville and Barty were following her closely. The fact that Neville could contact the Order gave her some hope, but she wouldn't be able to warn the Order herself. Barty would be keeping a close eye on her the entire time. She wouldn't be able to talk to anyone without him knowing. Besides, she still didn't know what he was up to. She didn't know anything. All she knew was that her own parents were unprotected and in danger. There was no one who would keep an eye on them. And that made them a very easy target for Barty and the rest of the Death Eaters. So she was forced to show him the Room of Requirements. She could only hope that there was no one inside it and that the room would show her something else than Neville's hiding place. Maybe it would work if she just needed a place to hide _something_. The place where everything is hidden. When the door appeared, she could almost feel Neville's breath hitching.

"Get in. Both of you."

With a slight relief, the room was indeed not the hiding place Neville had been talking about. Instead, it was filled with all sorts of stuff, it seemed to be an endless storage room. It was a good thing that there were no people in the room right now, because otherwise it would definitely have taken the form of the hiding place.

"So this is it? Your… _secret_ place?" Barty asked, looking around at the piles of books and furniture around him.

"No," Neville answered, still under the influence of the Veritaserum.

Barty slowly turned around, his eyes switching from Neville to Hermione.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, the room only appears when you need it. And since there is no one inside, it can take any form. So I suppose since Hermione and I both don't want you to find the room, it won't show," Neville explained with a little smile.

"Clever. Very clever. So tell me, Longbottom, when exactly will this room be filled with people?"

"After dinner," Neville answered, his smile fading away immediately.

"Then I shall be back after dinner," Barty announced. "And I would make sure that there _are_ people in the room if I were you, because if you warn them, I shall find you and your little friends. Is that understood?"

Neville nodded quickly.

"No… I know something better…" Barty said with an evil grin. " _Obliviate._ "

"No!" Hermione shouted, but of course she was already too late.

"I can't have him warning others. And I certainly can't let him warn other teachers. I am not a complete fool, Granger. I want to find Potter. And when I want something, I will do anything to get it. I believe you have Herbology right now, Longbottom?"

"Oh… yes," Neville said confused, rushing away without looking back.

"Let's go back to my office before your potion stops working. We can't have that," Barty said, seizing Hermione's arm a little bit too tightly.

He marched her down the stairs, back to the third floor where his classroom was. Hermione now had the feeling that she knew what Barty was trying to do. He wanted to know how he could find Harry, so that she could send him a message. Even an owl wouldn't be able to find Harry as long as his location was hidden. And as soon as Harry had received her message, he would go looking for her immediately. And Barty wasn't stupid; he wouldn't lure Harry back to Hogwarts. There was too much help for him there.

"Get your paws off me," Hermione growled, trying to yank her arm away.

"Quiet, my girl, we don't want to draw attention… You don't want me to punish you, do you?"

No, she didn't want that. It wasn't worth it. But she did want him to let her go, she didn't like the feeling of his cold fingers wrapped around her arm, and she didn't like how he had called her 'his girl'. Why would he even say such a thing? He truly had a twisted mind.

When they arrived in the Dark Arts classroom, they found that there was already someone there. A woman who Hermione knew as Alecto Carrow, Amycus' sister.

"Barty! Finally… I have been waiting for half an hour here," she said, still with her sickening flirtatious voice.

"What do you want?" Barty asked gruffly.

"You know what I want, big boy. Now that my brother has ruined his chances with the Dark Lord, I thought that it would be a good thing for me to prove that I am not like him. I want to help you with whatever your mission is…," Alecto offered, walking slowly towards Barty. "… In more than one way…"

"Get out," Barty snapped.

"Oh, you don't want that, honey…"

"I said… _get_ the fuck _out_ ," Barty said, his voice now more dangerous than first.

"But… why?" Alecto pouted. "Because that whore you have there is better than me? I doubt that… I am a Pureblood, _she_ isn't."

"You disgust me," Barty growled.

Hermione almost felt happy that he said that, it was as if he was defending her. She almost _hoped_ that he was defending her. But of course she knew that there had to be something different.

"Just give me one hour to prove it to you…"

"I'd rather sleep with a troll."

"Playing hard to get? I like that… my sexy man," Alecto purred, her hand running through his hair.

But as soon as she touched him, Barty let go of Hermione and he seized Alecto's wrist.

"You are trying to strengthen your own position within our master's circle. Do you honestly think I can't see that?" Barty growled viciously. "You think that being with me will help you raising your status. That is not going to work with me. Try Yaxley, or Greyback, I think they are _more_ than willing. Now get out of my sight before I do something you might regret."

"What? How _dare_ you… Accusing me of that sort of things… As if I would propose to anyone who is a Death Eater. Is it because of the blonde girl you have here? Is that why you reject me? Because I can _easily_ take care of that," Alecto snapped.

Barty leaned in closer, baring his teeth.

"Is that a threat?" he almost whispered with barely contained anger.

"I think you _do_ want me, Barty… You just don't want to admit it because your whore can hear you… You are quite sexy when you are so angry and menacing, you know?"

When she started brushing herself against him, Barty pushed her away with a disgusted look and he took Hermione's arm again, even tighter than he had done first. He was bruising her upper arm. But she didn't want him to let go either, for some reason, she felt safer with Barty than with that Alecto Carrow.

"Fine, if you insist…" Alecto muttered under her breath, and then she drew her wand and started to speak a curse with a louder voice. " _Avada…_ "

It was as if Barty knew what was coming before Alecto could even finish her curse. He didn't even bother to draw his own wand, he just let Hermione's arm go and he lunged himself at Alecto. Before Hermione could even register what was happening, Alecto was on the floor, grabbing her painful face with both hands. But for some reason, she was still laughing. She could still see something funny.

"You have guts, to hit a woman," she sneered.

"I really do hope that curse wasn't meant for me," Barty said, his voice deadly.

"How thick are you? It was meant for your whore. Shame you wouldn't let me kill her, you really need to stop being her little lapdog."

Barty now squatted down next to Alecto, narrowing his eyes.

"I've told you… the Dark Lord _knows_ that she is here. She is under my care. I need to protect her because she is of _importance_. You, on the other hand…" he said, his hand wrapping around her throat to emphasize his threat, "won't be missed. I can tell the Dark Lord about your foolish behaviour, about how you tried to kill the key of my mission, and I am sure that he will order me to torture and kill you. If he won't do it himself."

Now Alecto was quiet.

"Does that scare you? It should. Being punished by our master is not a pleasant experience… You know that."

He tightened his grip around her throat even more.

"You know what isn't pleasant either?" he snarled. "Having _me_ on your bad side. You wouldn't listen when I told you to leave."

"M-my love, you- you can't mean that…" Alecto choked, her eyes widening. "You don't want me dead!"

"Says who?"

She didn't have an answer to that either.

"Exactly. Now… if you _ever_ threaten me or this girl here again, I _will_ cast a Cruciatus Curse on you. And after that, I will tell the Dark Lord about you. And he will cast the Curse on you again. Am I understood?"

Alecto nodded quickly.

"You will stay away from me and my business from now on," Barty told her, leaving no room for an argument.

She nodded again.

"Then leave now, before I decide to kill you," Barty growled, letting her go. " _Now_."

She quickly stood up and ran away, leaving Hermione in one room with the fuming Barty. It had been just like it was with Wormtail, he protected her, but not because he cared for her. She was just something that was useful in his and Voldemort's plans. He only wouldn't let anyone else near her because he needed to keep her alive. It had nothing to do with _care_.

"Let's have some lunch," Hermione said carefully, trying to make him think about something else than what had just happened.

"No…" he said grimly. "I have a better idea…"

Hermione raised her eyebrow when he looked at her.

"How about you take Alecto as an example… I quit liked her sweet-talk. I would like it even more coming out of your mouth, my pretty witch."

His tone wasn't promising anything good at all. Hermione involuntary took a step away from him when he advanced on her with a predatory smirk.

"Oh, don't be such a scared rabbit, I am not going to hurt you… Although… would you like that?"

Hermione shook her head, stepping even further away.

"Don't walk away now… Just come here, pet," Barty told her.

And she obeyed. Not that she had a choice. If she would have her wand, Barty would have been dead by now. But there were too many lives at steak right now, and she could not contact or warn anyone without him knowing. So all she could really do, was to give him everything he wanted.

"Good girl," Barty grinned approvingly.

Hermione felt herself changing back to her real form again. She couldn't have chosen a worse moment. Feeling Barty's eyes watching her fake body was already bad enough, but feeling his eyes on her _own_ body was truly a nightmare. And feeling his _hands_ on her body was even worse. She couldn't stop trembling when she felt his hands wandering over her body, for what seemed like the millionth time since she had been stuck with him. She saw his tongue flicking out of his mouth in excitement, and she could feel his breath starting to become heavier.

"Are you cold?" he asked, almost gentle. "You are trembling."

"That is because your hands are on my skin," Hermione replied furiously.

"That is not a nice thing to say, is it?" Barty growled, pulling her forcefully closer to him. "If you want to keep me happy and satisfied, you really shouldn't talk to me like that…"

Hermione tried to tell herself that it could have been worse. At least she wasn't stuck with Greyback. Or with Wormtail. Barty was still considerably handsome, even though he was a terrible man who would torture and kill anyone who crossed him. But she couldn't deny that he was fit, and she almost could be attracted to him, if he wouldn't be such an evil person. But she could have been off worse. He just wanted company because he was so very lonely. He wouldn't kill her, and he wouldn't hurt her as long as she would cooperate. So she did everything he asked from her. Without complaining.


	18. Chapter 18

**I am soooooo sorry for the long wait! But don't worry, I haven't abandoned this fic. It's just that work and holidays are taking a lot of my time and I am a bit tired at the moment. I have just returned from a tour through the UK, which has been very nice, but also very exhausting.**

 **This chapter doesn't really add that much, but I decided to post it anyway, since I won't have time to do so for the next couple of weeks.**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter anyways and I also hope you'll leave me some reviews!**

 **Thank you for reading! XX**

* * *

After dinner, Hermione and Barty waited for Neville on the seventh floor. No matter how much Hermione had tried to make Barty leave Neville alone, he kept insisting on taking Neville with him to the Room of Requirements. Apparently he was under the assumption that only he knew how to enter that room, since he didn't know exactly who else was involved. He only knew about Neville being part of the group that was hiding in the Room of Requirements.

It was almost past curfew when Neville finally showed up. There had been several others who Hermione recognized as people who were probably on their way to the Room of Requirements as well, but she didn't want to tell Barty that. As soon as Neville walked passed them, Barty grabbed his collar and covered his mouth so that he couldn't scream.

"Time to show me that room, boy," he hissed. "You will _not_ scream."

Barty removed his hand from Neville's mouth, but he didn't let go of the collar.

"W-what room? What are you talking about?"

Of course he wouldn't remember, Barty had erased his memories.

"The Room of Requirements, of course, you fool. You will show me that room _now_. Or should I force you?"

"I don't know how you know about that room, but I can assure you that there is nothing for you there. So leave me alone."

Barty only tightened his grip, his tongue darting out of his mouth.

"I can assure you that I do have business there."

He grabbed Neville's arm and started dragging him along through the corridor, not stopping before they had reached the wall where the room was supposed to be. Neville was struggling the entire way to shrug Barty off him, but he didn't succeed.

"Go on, show me that room," Barty ordered calmly, finally releasing Neville.

"I don't have to show you anything," Neville hissed.

Barty growled audibly in annoyance, and he was clearly losing his patience. But this time, Hermione was quicker with talking back to Neville. She had to think about her parents' safety here.

"Yes, you will show him, Neville," Hermione told him softly. "It's alright, just do what he says."

"Why? Why would I listen to you?" Neville asked, looking at Hermione's altered face with a disgusted look on his face.

"Because he'll kill my parents if you don't," Hermione answered quietly.

She received an approving grin from Barty, which only made him more demonic, but she kept her eyes fixed on Neville, trying to ignore the threatening Death Eater next to her. Everything seemed to be so hopeless for her now, there was nothing she could do.

"Is that supposed to impress me?" Neville sneered. "You are just as evil as he is. He tortured my parents, you know that? I am not going to give him _anything_."

"What do you think, Longbottom…" Barty said eerily calmly. "Would this room show itself if I blow up the wall? I might kill a few of your fellow students in the process… So if you don't show me this room, then I shall be forced to try that."

"No! No, I'll… show you."

Neville pressed his eyelids tightly together and a door appeared in the wall. Barty watched the door suspiciously, and he glowered at Neville. He clearly didn't trust it, and neither did Hermione. She couldn't believe that Neville would give in so easily. But Barty pushed the door open nonetheless, still keeping an eye on Neville. And he wasn't exactly pleased when he saw the room.

"What do you call this?" he growled. "You have fooled me _again_."

Hermione quickly glanced inside the room to see what Neville had managed to make the room appear, and she saw the same thing as she had seen earlier that day. Just piles of books, furniture and stuff. Neville had just showed Barty the room where all the unused stuff went.

"Neville," Hermione said with a small voice. "Please… just show him what he wants to see. Please…"

Neville just sneered.

"It won't be that easy to make me help a Death Eater. I refuse to help someone who supports Voldemort," he replied, just glaring at the two people in front of him.

Barty hissed angrily when he heard his master's name, and before Neville knew what was happening, Barty had grabbed his throat, pushing him up against the wall. The Death Eater's face was contorted with anger, his tongue flicking out of his mouth furiously. He was visibly shaking with anger, as if he was trying his best to hold back.

"There is nothing that will stop me from killing you, _boy_. Give me one reason why I should keep you and your beloved family alive…"

Neville just choked something, and Hermione was powerless. She could not do anything to stop Barty from speaking the killing curse, she knew that words didn't have any impact on him. He wouldn't change his mind. If he wanted someone dead, then he would make sure he could see the lights leaving their eyes. And he definitely was ready to murder Neville right now. And he _would_ enter the Room of Requirements sooner or later, with or without the help of Neville.

Suddenly, Barty was blown away from Neville by an invisible force. Neville was left choking on the floor, while Barty was trying to figure out who had just attacked him. Hermione looked behind her to see who had just saved Neville's life.

"Crouch Junior," a furious and very strict voice said. "I won't allow you to treat your students like that!"

Hermione smiled in relief when she saw the angry face of Professor McGonagall. She was standing in the corridor with her wand aimed at Barty. She had the upper hand in the situation right now, since Barty didn't have his wand drawn. And McGonagall was a powerful witch. Surely Barty knew that. Hermione could see it in his eyes, it was the first time she had actually seen him being worried about something. He wasn't scared yet, but he was definitely worried.

"Minerva," he smiled with an unpleasant undertone in his voice. "Would you kindly not point you wand at me?"

"You can call me Professor McGonagall, Crouch. And no, I will _not_ lower my wand," she answered fiercely, sparks flying out of the tip of her wand in anger.

Barty's grin only widened even further.

"May I remind you, _Minerva_ , that I have replaced Carrow. Which makes me Deputy Headmaster. So if you wish to keep your job, you really should put that wand away."

"I won't allow you to kill students. I'll stop you," McGonagall said, although she sounded a bit less sure.

Barty's grin now faded away slightly as he took a step closer towards his colleague and former professor.

"Oh? How exactly? Because you see… if you attack me, then the Dark Lord will find out about that sooner or later. He might invade the castle to punish you. Is that what you want? You will only bring the students in even more danger…"

"Where is Hermione Granger?" McGonagall snapped. "The Death Eaters have her."

"Why is everyone so concerned about that Mudblood?" Barty sighed.

But that remark didn't please McGonagall at all. She flicked her wand and sent Barty flying through the corridor, only to make him crash against the wall on the other side.

"I don't care if you were You-Know-Who himself, you will _not_ say such things about people in my presence. Where is Hermione Granger?" McGonagall asked sternly.

Barty stood up slowly. Despite his attempts to give McGonagall his best threatening glare, there was an evident hint of fear in his eyes. He knew that he couldn't win a fight with his former professor. Even _with_ his wand, he would lose a duel with her. McGonagall was a powerful witch and not one to be underestimated, and he knew that. He wiped away a bit of blood off his cheek before he spoke again.

"I've always admired your braveness and loyalty, Minerva. But really… it would be better for you not to pick a fight with me," he told her calmly, his voice very controlled.

He was trying to negotiate. He was not able to fight McGonagall, so now he was trying to talk himself out of the situation. As long as McGonagall had the upper hand, Hermione was safe. Barty couldn't hurt her now.

"I won't have to fight you if you would tell me where Miss Granger is."

Now was the chance. Now or never.

"Professor… It- I am…" Hermione couldn't speak any further, but she could see that McGonagall already knew what she was trying to say. Her eyes widened.

"Hermione?"

Hermione gave a weak smile, happy that the Order now finally knew where she was. And who she was with. But she didn't realize that Barty had lunged at her and grabbed her arm. And for some reason, McGonagall wasn't quick enough either. She did raise her wand, and she did throw a curse at Barty, but he had already apparated. With Hermione in his hold.

She had been too optimistic. She had not thought of the fact that he could apparate in Hogwarts. And now she would pay for her stupidity. She had really made him beyond furious. She could feel it. When she saw that they were in the street leading to Crouch Manor, she also saw that McGonagall's curse had wounded one of Barty's legs. He was leaning with his weight more on Hermione and he was practically limping.

Hermione might have been able to kick him and to run away before he could even chase after her, but he was clutching his wand tightly. He would not allow her to. And the fact that he was hurt, only made him even angrier.

He was scanning the street carefully, as if McGonagall or someone from the Order would be waiting for them right there. He probably didn't want to apparate into his house because he feared for that. It was already late, so luckily there weren't many people for Barty to attack. Except for one unfortunate Muggle who happened to be still in the street. As soon as he looked at Hermione and the Death Eater hanging on her shoulder, a bright green flash lightened the street. No matter how much Hermione was shaking with fear for what was coming, she had to keep dragging Barty towards his own house.

He still hadn't said a word. He still hadn't killed her. But he would definitely punish her. There was no one to save her. She did consider letting him fall and running away quickly, but if she wasn't quick enough… He still had a wand, and he was extra alert. When they were inside the manor, Barty immediately called his house-elf. Winky almost instantly appeared in the hall, a worried look on her face when she saw that her master was hurt.

"Master Barty is hurt! Winky needs to look after master!" she said.

"There is no time," Barty growled, his teeth clenched. "I need you to get some extra clothes from my room and my most important belongings, including the potion, and I need you to bring it to Malfoy Manor. You will wait for me there."

"Yes, master," Winky bowed and she wanted to rush away, but Barty stopped her.

"After you have brought my stuff, I want you to pick up Mr. Granger, and I want you to bring him to the manor as well."

Winky bowed again, and this time, Barty let her go. Hermione's heart was in her throat. She couldn't think clearly anymore. He would murder her father. Not only that, he would torture him mercilessly. Only the thought of it made her scared and angry at the same time, but she knew that there was nothing she could do. Except fighting back. The problem was, she didn't have the strength to fight him.

"I warned you, didn't I, little witch?" Barty said with a manic grin. "Yet you decided to betray me. But I can promise you…" he brought his hand to her cheek, "… you are going to regret crossing me."

Hermione tried to fight back her tears, but it was no use. She couldn't stop herself from crying and stammering out apologies. Not that the Death Eater would be listening to her. He was furious, even though he appeared to be calm. He would snap very soon.

After he quickly tried to make his leg somewhat less painful so that he could stand on his own feet, Barty apparated them back to Malfoy Manor again. Another place where Hermione had terrible memories of. And they would only become worse.

"Barty!" a female voice sounded through the large entrance hall.

A woman with long and thick black hair with equally dark clothes and a very pale skin came in their direction. And she smiled when she saw her fellow Death Eater and Hermione.

"Still with the Mudblood, I see?"

"You know that I have to, Bella."

"Oh? That is not what we have heard from Alecto Carrow… She told me that you seem to be very fond of the girl. Of course, I wouldn't accuse you of anything, I don't believe a word from that filthy traitor," Bellatrix sneered.

Barty smiled at her.

"You know exactly who to trust, you know where our loyalty should be."

"What happened to your leg? You are walking strange. Did the little bitch do something to you?"

"McGonagall did, actually. This little bitch here decided that it would be a wise thing to reveal herself and now the Order most certainly knows where she is . That's why I am here. It's safer here."

"You've grown too soft, sweetheart," Bellatrix said. "I can see it. Look at the girl. She used to tremble on her feet at the sight of you, now she is just standing there calmly. Why? What happened to your terrifying image? I think you have been way too kind to her. Otherwise she would _never_ have tried such a thing on you. Not even other Death Eaters dare to cross you like that."

"I have _not_ grown soft," Barty growled with fire in his eyes.

"Do you want some help?"

"My house-elf is picking up her father as we speak. That will teach the little Mudblood. She will learn to fear me again," Barty grinned, glancing down at Hermione.

"Exciting… isn't it, Mudblood?" Bellatrix sneered. "Are you looking forward to witnessing what Barty is going to do to your Muggle daddy?"

Hermione just glared at her. She wouldn't let that witch make her more afraid than she already was. That woman had killed Sirius. If Hermione had her wand with her right now, she would make sure that Bellatrix Lestrange was the one getting tortured.

"Why are you here?" Barty asked.

"Lucius decided to have a little party here. It has been terrible so far. I am bored. So please let me help you with torturing the girl or the Muggle. All these Snatchers and traitors and werewolves here make me sick," Bellatrix said dully.

"I hate parties. Certainly now," Barty replied, turning towards Hermione once more. "Just so you know… if my master is going to punish me for the fact that the original plan has failed, then I will make sure that you are going to feel the same pain. In tenfold."


	19. Chapter 19

"Just out of interest, darling," Bellatrix said sweetly while the three were waiting for Winky to return. "What are you going to do with the Mudblood if the Dark Lord decides that we won't use her anymore? I mean… the Order probably knows where she is, they probably also know where Lovegood and Ollivander are, and if even they don't come looking for them, then I seriously doubt if Potter will come. Maybe we should go find Potter ourselves, offer him the Mudblood in exchange for him. He would do that. He is a Gryffindor. He would sacrifice himself."

"Let's wait for the Dark Lord's own plans before making any ourselves," Barty told her gruffly. "But I won't kill her yet… she is _way_ too much fun to be around. She really gives us something to do, doesn't she? Now look at the trouble she has caused singlehandedly."

A chilling smirk grew on Barty's face, one that gave Hermione shivers. He had the strange quality to make the temperature of the room decrease to below the zero point. Or maybe it was the combination of the two Death Eaters; Bellatrix wasn't a very warm and kind person either.

"I can't help thinking about Lucius' face when he finds out that you will be staying here for a while. He won't like that."

"Tough. My own house is probably guarded by the Order by now. I don't like being here either. I don't give a damn about what Lucius thinks," Barty snapped.

"If you can't keep the girl under control, he'll only be more of a pest. You know how he likes to taunt people when they fail. You'll need to make her afraid of you again…"

"Look at her. She is trembling. She _is_ afraid."

"Not as afraid as she _should_ be..." Bellatrix turned towards Hermione. "Maybe I could succeed, if Barty would let me play with his toy for a bit…"

"You will not come anywhere near me, you evil witch," Hermione hissed.

"Tsk, tsk, see what I mean, Barty? And you just let her talk to a Pureblood like that."

Barty's eyes darkened even more as he slowly circled around Hermione.

"You can swear at us what you want…" he hissed in her ear. "But your father is the one who will pay the price…"

Bellatrix grinned when she saw Hermione's eyes widening.

"… and if you don't learn to keep your mouth shut, I will order Winky to find your mother as well. And I might hand her over to the very capable hands of Bellatrix."

Hermione audibly swallowed a lump in her throat away when Barty let his hands rest on her shoulders, squeezing her threateningly.

"After I am done with your daddy, I will hurt you. Because you decided to reveal yourself, after all the countless warnings I have been giving you. Stupid, stupid girl…" Barty continued.

Bellatrix was looking at the scene with a very wide grin, as if she was watching the most wonderful thing in existence. When Barty removed his hands from Hermione's shoulders, so that she finally dared to breathe again, Winky appeared with a loud bang. But there was no one with her. Hermione could see Winky shrinking under the furious glare of her master. She bowed deeply before she spoke with a small voice.

"Winky has put the potion in the guest room, sir. And master's stuff too," she announced.

"Where is the Muggle?" Barty asked coldly, taking an intimidating step forward so that Winky only cowered away further.

"Master must not be angry… It was not Winky's fault!" she whimpered.

" _Where_ is he?"

"Mr. Granger was not in the house! Winky saw two other people and Winky has disappeared immediately!"

"They have been warned… Those people were probably people from the Order…" Barty said more to himself than to the others.

"Winky is very sorry that she has failed master, sir," Winky said quietly.

There was a visible madness raging in Barty, his eyes seemed to be black, his tongue was flicking out of his mouth and his fists were clenched so tightly, that Hermione half expected to see blood. Even Bellatrix quietly took a step back when she noticed his insane appearance. He stood there for only a couple of seconds in complete silence, and then suddenly he flipped the nearest table, breaking the expensive vases that were standing on top of it. Then he picked up a chair and he smashed it against the wall with a roar. Hermione saw that even Bellatrix looked slightly frightened by now at this sudden outburst, but Hermione could only be grateful that he wasn't outing his frustration on her when he threw another vase and smashed it against the wall as well.

When he was done with destroying things, he focused his glare on Hermione, making her step away from him. He was breathing heavily, and he was looking absolutely ready to murder. But before he could advance any further on Hermione, the door of the hall opened and Lucius appeared. He looked around at the mess in the hall, and then he looked with a mix of anger and confusion at the other people in the room.

"Crouch!" he shouted. "What the hell is this all about?"

"The Mudblood has caused trouble. The Order now knows what had happened to her, and they probably also know where she is," Bellatrix answered with a calm voice, still eyeing Barty cautiously. "That is why Barty is a bit pissed off."

"A _bit_ pissed off? Listen to me, Crouch, if you want to smash things, then fine. But do that in your own house. You will not touch anything here, you understand?" Lucius growled.

Bellatrix chuckled nervously, but Barty just stared at Lucius.

"Well? Answer me, boy! What the hell are you doing here anyway! And then your stinking house-elf… Keep that thing off my clean floor!"

"Careful…" Bellatrix warned amused when she saw how Barty's eyes were narrowing at the multiple insults Lucius had just thrown at him.

"For the last time… _don't_ patronise me," Barty said with eerie calm.

"Get out of my house now," Lucius retorted.

Barty just glowered at him, his tongue darting out of his mouth nervously.

"I'll be staying here for a while. And if you don't like that, then maybe we'll have to discuss this with the Dark Lord himself. We don't need you. We don't need your money. All we need is your house."

"At least get your filthy elf out of here," Lucius snarled. "That thing is nothing more than dirt, not that I am surprised, seeing whose servant she is."

Winky didn't say anything to that, of course, she would never speak up for herself. But Barty did. Maybe because he secretly cared for his house-elf. Or maybe because he saw Lucius' insults as a direct insult towards himself. Either way, he took another step forward to stand face to face with Lucius.

"I dare you to repeat yourself," he growled, drawing his wand and pressing it against Lucius' throat.

Lucius didn't answer him back, he just drew his own wand and pressed it against Barty's throat. But Barty didn't seem to be impressed.

"I could kill you right here," Barty hissed.

"I could kill you first," Lucius said calmly.

"Please, boys… Put those wands away. We have more important things to do," Bellatrix said, rolling her eyes.

"Then maybe Crouch should offer me his apologies."

"Then maybe Malfoy should treat me with some more respect."

"Maybe I should hex you both so that I won't have to listen to your childish little rows anymore."

Hermione couldn't help snorting at the scene in front of her. There were two grown-up men, two Death Eaters, two _evil_ men, just bickering about who is right. It was stupid really. But unfortunately for her, the men could also see her amused face, even though she was trying to hide it.

"What's so funny?" Barty snapped.

"Just… nothing," Hermione said quickly, wiping away her grin.

"I'll tell you what's funny," Barty said with an unpleasant smirk. "I am going to make you regret what you have done. You will be tied to my bed, perhaps under the Imperius Curse… You will face the worst pain. And I will make _sure_ you remember your place here."

"At least my parents are safe from you," Hermione snapped back.

Barty just shot her a grin that gave her shivers as he turned back towards Lucius.

"You should be more careful. The Dark Lord has not forgiven you yet. And Draco has only proved to be a failure so far… You don't want to make more enemies by making one of me," Barty said quietly, lowering his wand.

"Don't think you can order me around in my own house."

"Ah!" Bellatrix squeaked suddenly in delight from behind Hermione. "I am starting to doubt the truth in your words, Barty. Alecto might have been right. The girl has _biting_ marks."

"That is not…"

"Relax, sweetheart, what you do with your Mudblood is none of my concern… You like it rough, don't you? She'll learn soon enough how to talk to Purebloods like us," Bellatrix chuckled, circling around Hermione. "Won't you, girl?"

Hermione just glared at the witch in front of her.

"Well… Lucius, I believe you have guests to look after?" Bellatrix sneered.

Lucius glowered at the three people in the room, but then he left the entrance hall. Bellatrix rolled her eyes and decided to follow him, leaving Barty and Hermione alone again.

"You're not… you're not really going to do these things to me, are you?" she asked Barty quietly.

But when she saw the furious glare in his dark eyes, she knew he would do all those things to her he had been threatening her with. It was a relief that her parents were safe, but he would now release his anger on her. And she would not like it. He would do his very best to hurt her, even though Voldemort might not even need her anymore as bait for Harry. He dragged her upstairs to another guestroom that was slightly bigger than the last one Hermione had been sleeping in at Malfoy Manor. And he did exactly what she had already feared. He chained her to the bedpost with iron chains. And then he put her under the Imperius Curse. Her own thoughts vanished immediately. She tried to fight him off, she tried to remember the lessons he had personally given her in her fourth year, but this Curse was so much stronger than what she had experienced back then. She couldn't think clearly anymore, all she could hear were his commands.

 _"_ _Sit down,"_ she could hear the voice in her head.

So she did what the voice told her. She didn't protests, she just did what she was told. It was a liberating feeling actually.

 _"_ _Apologize… the best way you can. You know who the boss is here, so show respect…"_

"I am sorry, sir," Hermione heard her own voice saying, but her eyes were blank. She showed no emotion whatsoever. She couldn't _feel_ emotions. "I know I have been rude to you, and I know I shouldn't have done that. You were kind to me, you are a great wizard. I ask you for your mercy."

 _"_ _Not nearly good enough… Kneel. Kneel like a Mudblood should before a Pureblood."_

Hermione went down on her knees. Still trying to fight the Death Eater's influence. But she didn't have to fight for long. Her vision cleared, her own thoughts returned. She looked up at the man who had been controlling her, who was now sitting on the bed, tears rolling silently down his cheeks. He was crying.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hiiii! Thank you so much for reading so far, I really hope you are enjoying the fic :) I could reaaaaly use some reviews to find out what you all think of it so far and to find out whether or not I am still keeping this fic interesting enough. Because I don't want to bore you :p So if you have an opinion (I don't care how long your opnion is), or a question, or just a remark, please share it with me! Especially since I haven't written an ending to this story, so there are still enough possibilities.**

 **Love you! XXX**

* * *

A part of her wanted to laugh at the crying Barty. She wanted to tell him that he was a pathetic Death Eater, that he wasn't supposed to cry. She wanted to taunt him by telling him what the others would say if they would see him like this. She wanted to embarrass him now that he showed his more vulnerable side. He couldn't threaten her with her parents anyway since they were gone. But the other side of Hermione was too curious to do this. She also wanted to know why he was crying, maybe she could use it against him later. She had always learned from her parents that you should help and comfort people who are sad and lonely and that you should never embarrass them or make them feel bad about themselves. But this was not a normal case, this concerned a Death Eater.

"What's wrong?" she asked him as softly as she could without sounding too dismissively. Because really, she couldn't care any less about how he felt. Maybe she would have in a different situation, but he had _hurt_ her. And others. Maybe she would have cared if he weren't a murderer.

"Like you care," Barty replied harshly, as if he could read her mind. "Just sit down and don't speak to me."

"I do care," Hermione lied. "I want to know what's wrong with you."

Barty was silent for a moment before he finally turned to look her in the eyes.

"How was it?" he asked. "How did the Imperius Curse feel? Tell me."

"It was... liberating. But also very- claustrophobic. Like someone had me imprisoned and I couldn't move."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Did you like it?" He asked.

"No. Of course I didn't like it. It isn't an illegal curse for nothing. And the fact that I hated you already isn't really helping either," Hermione snapped.

"Hm," Barty said absentmindedly without elaborating any further.

"So? Why didn't you continue your Imperius Curse on me since you're ultimate goal is hurting me very badly? Are you just that weak? Are you so pathetic that you can't even use an Unforgivable Curse on me?" Hermione sneered, not holding back any longer.

Barty stood up and started pacing the room, his fists clenched.

"Do not presume to know me, girl," he growled. "You know perfectly well that I am quite capable of performing the Cruciatus Curse and the Killing Curse."

It took Hermione a second, but then she remembered a conversation she had with him earlier. This was about his own past, about his own childhood.

"This is about your father, isn't it?" She asked.

There. She had him. He stopped pacing to glare down on Hermione who was still sitting on the floor.

"How dare you speak about him?" He said a little bit too calmly.

"He should have let your rot away in Azkaban," Hermione hissed. "Now the poor man is dead just because of his need to protect his own son."

Barty's eyes narrowed dangerously when he sat down on the bed again.

"My father..." he spoke with the same calm, though the animosity was clearly there in his voice. "... was a terrible person. He sent me to Azkaban when I was only nineteen years old. It broke my mother's heart. She became ill out of sadness. But my father couldn't care. He never listened to her. He only listened when it was too late."

Hermione waited for Barty to continue when he stopped talking for a moment, but she was certain that he was going to tell her his whole story this time. At least he didn't torture her now.

"My mother's last wish was to keep me alive. So we swapped places with Polyjuice Potion," Barty continued with a mix of anger and emotion in his eyes. "She died within a week. And I blamed my father for her death, I still do. For her, he kept me alive, but he wouldn't let me do anything else than breathing. I only had Winky as my company and the constant presence of my father's Imperius Curse."

Barty swallowed for a moment, but he wasn't finished yet.

"That wasn't even the worst thing he had done, imprisoning his own son and killing his wife in the progress. There was this girl... in my seventh year at Hogwarts. We were completely in love, we had been dating for over a year. Halfblood, she was, another Ravenclaw. But I never wanted her to meet my parents, especially not my father. However, Elora, which was her name, kept insisting. So I took her with me during the Christmas break."

His dark eyes became even darker.

"It was all fine, until my father caught her stealing from our house. She had taken a golden plate from us. She didn't have much money, you see, so I was prepared to forgive her. And I am not the most forgiving person, as you know. But for her, I was prepared to let it pass. But of course my father wanted to make a problem out of it. He wasn't satisfied with just claiming back his bloody plate. He told me that Elora probably only wanted to date me because of my money and name. Of course that made me furious. And I am not the most pleasant person when angered. But I was still young back then, and my father was still strong than I was. He sent Elora to Azkaban, partly to punish her, but I think he was only punishing me. He wanted to teach her a lesson, he said. She was seventeen, so he could do it legally as well. Then she died, after only four days in prison. And my father still dared to look me in the eyes, he still had the guts to tell me that it wasn't his intention to let her die there. I swore to myself that I would never see that miserable man ever again in my life."

Hermione stared at him with her eyes wide and her mouth open.

"I joined the Death Eaters as soon as I had finished school. The Dark Lord welcomed me like the father I never had. The next time I saw my real father was at the trial. Because of the torture of the Longbottoms. He said so himself, I was no son of his. And I hated every second I had to live with him under his curse. I promised him that he would regret all he had done. Everyone he had taken from me, every second he had imprisoned me. Of course he didn't believe me, the stupid man. He underestimated me. I was no longer a seventeen year old boy. I had become more powerful, and I eventually was able to break free from the Imperius Curse. I didn't kill him straight away. I knew he would be scared, I knew he would be terrified of the thought that I was out there, reuniting with my master, knowing that I would come back to kill him one day. And I did. At Hogwarts, in the Forbidden Forest."

A smiled crept on his face when he thought back to that moment.

"I tortured him many times. I made him apologize for my mother's and Elora's deaths for so many times I lost count. The fear in the old man's eyes…" Barty said with an even bigger grin. "He knew I was going to kill him. But not before I had him begging me for mercy. By the time I was finished with him, he was nothing more than just a single bone."

Hermione knew that he was finished now, since he just kept staring in the distance with a nostalgic look on his face. So he had stopped the Imperius Curse because it reminded him of his father. And it reminded him of some bad times for him.

"You know… You are no better than your father. He may have been the indirect cause of two deaths, you are the direct cause of even more deaths. Take that Muggle you've killed this evening. Don't you think he had a family, or a girlfriend? You are worse than your father," Hermione told him.

"Do you think I care?" he asked her, his smile fading away. "Love and care won't bring you anywhere. It will only destroy you!"

"I think you do care."

"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK!" Barty yelled, jumping off the bed and forcing Hermione to stand up. "On the bed you, now."

Hermione laughed. "Don't you realize you can't make me do anything without that Imperius Curse now that my parents are safely hidden from you?"

"Is that what you think?" Barty sneered, throwing her on the bed with force. "I can make you do anything I want without the Curse. You know… as soon as we have Potter, I should keep you for my own entertainment. You will never see your dear Muggle parents again. Maybe you'll learn to respect me somewhere in the future."

"Would you have treated Elora like this as well? Would you have tortured her? She is better off dead if that means she won't have to stay with you."

There was a stinging pain in Hermione's cheek suddenly, indicating that Barty had hit her. He was fuming, his eyes widened, his tongue darting out of his mouth. Hermione knew she had gone too far, but she didn't pity him. If she wasn't afraid of what he was going to do to her now, she would have laughed at the sight of him. He didn't know what to do with her anymore. She just wouldn't listen.

"… You have gone too far," he breathed dangerously.

She crawled away from him, trying to keep up her best defiant look. But she still wanted to get away from him.

"She wouldn't approve of what you have become," Hermione challenged him even further, seeing that it made him only angrier.

"You have no right _at all_ to speak her name. You didn't know her."

"Haven't you ever visited her parents?"

"Shut your mouth now."

"Have you?"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" he roared, what probably the whole house must have heard. "I can _see_ you are afraid of me. Terrified, even. Why do you still try to anger me, eh? Your parents may be safe, but imagine what I can do to that Lovegood girl who is in the basements at the moment. But of course, if you stop annoying me too much, I could decide to limit my attention to you. If not, there are many ways to punish you... don't you worry."

"If you think I am ever going to respect you, then you are wrong. I can respect people, but not murderers, torturers and rapists. And you happen to be all three of them," Hermione snarled disgusted.

He jumped on the bed, on top of Hermione, crushing her body with his. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them down above her head.

"I suppose I am," he grinned, almost as if he was proud of himself. "You should see it as am honour... I am much better than the bloodtraitor Weasley."

Hermione frowned when she heard him talking about Ron.

"Yes... I heard you saying his name in your sleep. You want him, don't you? You love him. How pathetic is that," he sneered, as if he was trying to embarrass her as well because she had been taunting him.

"Ron is worth so much more than you," Hermione spat.

Barty forcefully grinded his hips against hers, making her shriek.

"Shame that you only have me here then to make you scream. And I _will_ make you scream," he growled. "It will only hurt more if you resist..."

There was a knock on the door, and the irritating voice of Bellatrix sounded from the other side. Although Hermione wasn't so sure if she still found her voice that irritating. Bellatrix had just saved her, because Barty sat up straight and removed his body from Hermione's.

"Are you there, darling?" she asked. "Are you busy?"

"Come in," Barty said curtly.

The door opened and Bellatrix scanned the room quickly. A wide smirk appeared on her face when she noticed Hermione lying on the bed in chains with a blouse that was revealing a bit too much due to Barty who had been working slowly on the buttons.

"Enjoying yourself?" Bellatrix remarked with a grin. "You're a dirty boy, Barty... you're not even here for one hour and you are already shagging your Mudblood. She is a pretty one, isn't she?"

"Why are you here?" Barty asked.

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you we have dinner downstairs. The guests are all gone, except for me. Lucius didn't want to invite you, so he isn't expecting you, but you are already too skinny. So I thought I'd invite you anyway. Lucius really thinks he is lord and master in our circle, doesn't he? The little traitor..."

"Good, good... maybe we can discuss what to do next now that my position at Hogwarts is lost... I know who we need to find, a man Longbottom had told me about," Barty said, glancing at Hermione to make sure she was listening. "Aberforth Dumbledore."

"Really?" Bellatrix frowned. "Albus' brother. Lucius might now where he lives."

"I'll take the girl with me downstairs," Barty announced.

As soon as he released Hermione from the chains, she jumped off the bed and tried to keep her distance. All she really wanted to do was hide herself in the covers of the bed, away from the psychopath, although she knew that covers weren't going to save her. But she didn't dare to refuse coming with the two Death Eaters either. The way Barty was looking at her told her that he was dangerously close to torturing her again. And now that he had threatened to hurt Luna... There was just always someone else he could hurt. There was always a way he could hurt Hermione. And that terrified her. She could hide her intense fear she felt for him the best she could, but she was pretty certain that he could look straight through that act. She was trembling, she was sweating, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't win a fight with him. He would always win, and she would always lose.


	21. Chapter 21

When the three arrived downstairs, Lucius and Narcissa were already sitting opposite of each other at the heads of the smaller dinner table, with Draco sitting on the longer side between them and Wormtail bringing the large plates with food from the kitchen to the table. There was only one empty chair left, indicating that they had only been expecting Bellatrix to join them for dinner and no one else, since Wormtail was never allowed to sit with the Death Eaters.

"Barty!" Narcissa said, trying to sound surprised. "We didn't expect you, please take my seat. I'll let Wormtail find two chairs!"

Narcissa quickly stood up and she offered Barty her chair, but he waved her away.

"Don't bother, I'll sit in the middle," he said, while Wormtail immediately rushed to fetch two chairs, desperate not to let anyone wait for too long.

"It's not that we didn't expect you," Lucius told Barty gruffly. "We consciously didn't invite you."

"We?" Narcissa laughed nervously. "No, no, that is not true… Of course you are welcome to join us."

"Don't worry, Cissy, I believe you," Barty smiled, though his eyes weren't smiling with him. "I think Lucius is entirely to blame for this rudeness."

"Rudeness?" Lucius sneered. "I let you stay in my home!"

"Here you are, sir," Wormtail muttered from behind Barty, offering him a chair.

With a smug smile meant for Lucius, Barty sat down as Bellatrix did the same. When Hermione sat down as well, Barty called Winky. She appeared immediately after her name was called.

"What can Winky do for master?" she asked with a bow.

"Oh, maybe you could… fill my plate for me,"

Barty glanced at Lucius, and it was very obvious that he was only summoning Winky to annoy Lucius.

"I've told you…" Lucius started.

"… to keep that filthy thing out of your house," Barty finished with a manic grin. "Well, I guess you didn't really make an impression on me, did you?"

"Don't think you can scare me, Crouch."

"Don't think you can give me orders, Malfoy," Barty shot back, giving Lucius an intense stare.

After a very uncomfortable silence, when Barty had finally sent Winky away, he broke the silence.

"So. Where does Aberforth Dumbledore live?" he asked to no one in particular.

There was a painful silence again.

"Granger?"

Hermione had been trying to stay invisible, but when Barty asked her a question, she almost choked in a piece of bread. But she didn't know the answer. So she just shook her head.

"You know what happens when you lie to me, don't you?" Barty asked her softly.

"I know where he lives," the voice of Draco suddenly sounded in a tone Hermione had never heard with him before. He didn't sound as posh as he used to be. He sounded nervous, and scared.

Barty leaned forward on his elbows, clearly amused and interested and interested in what the younger Malfoy had to say. Draco became even paler when all the eyes rested on him.

"Do you?" Barty said. "Tell me then."

"He- lives in Hogsmeade. I don't know the exact address but… he lives there."

"Good. I'll visit Hogsmeade tomorrow," Barty said as his grin widened. "And you, Draco, can accompany me."

"What? No!" Lucius interrupted.

"The boy needs some experience, he needs to prove himself," Bellatrix said, clearly choosing Barty's side.

"He is not going anywhere with that lunatic!"

Barty's expression now darkened, and the whole room seemed to darken with him.

"You can't protect him forever," Bellatrix told Lucius airily, as if they were merely discussing the weather.

"Why do you want to take Draco, Barty?" Narcissa asked softly.

"Like Bellatrix said, he could use the experience. He has been nothing but a failure so far," Barty answered.

"Nonsense. You want to use my boy just to punish me! You never liked the Malfoys, and now you just want to bring my son in danger! We know exactly how you work, Crouch, and I won't allow it!" Lucius snarled.

"Danger?" Barty scoffed. "There is no danger in Hogsmeade. He will be with me. He can get the truth out of this Aberforth. If not… I shall punish him for his failing personally. If he doesn't give me the location of Potter, then I see that as treason to the Dark Lord."

"Who says Aberforth knows Potter's location? We don't know anything about that man! You might be luring my son into a trap! I don't give a damn about you, but if my son is harmed in any way…"

"You'll do what?" Barty asked Lucius, standing up slowly.

Draco was as pale as a ghost, and Hermione could see the sweat on his forehead.

"Let's… ask Draco what he thinks, Lucius. If he wants to go, then he should," Narcissa said, looking expectantly at her son.

"I- eh…" Draco stammered nervously, but he didn't have to make a choice, because his father interrupted him.

"OF COURSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO GO WITH THAT PSYCHOPATH! HE IS NOT GOING!" Lucius yelled over the table.

"ENOUGH!" Barty screamed, slamming his right fist down on the table, making the cutlery and plates clatter. The sudden rage in his voice made everyone in the room flinch, including Bellatrix. They probably all knew what Barty was capable of in a fit of rage. Even the worst Death Eaters felt some fear for him. Especially Draco, who was now fighting back tears.

"The boy is coming with me, whether you like it or not," Barty added with a calmer and colder voice. "We'll leave tomorrow morning."

He sat down again, but no one dared to speak a word to break the painful silence. Draco was trying not to show fear, but even Hermione could see his trembling hands. And if she could see it, then Barty could definitely see it. And he enjoyed other people's fear. Lucius was just looking angry during the whole dinner, and Narcissa was almost as scared as her son. Only Bellatrix seemed to enjoy everything. But of course, she was just like Barty. She also hated disloyalty, she also enjoyed other's fear, she also enjoyed inflicting pain on others… Hermione was only glad that Barty's attention was now not entirely with her, but she knew that he would be terrible company if he stayed in this mood. And she was the one who had to stay with him the rest of the evening.

The evening was tense indeed, to say in the least. Barty had been grumpy the whole evening, and his mood had not lightened since dinner. Hermione thought it best not to talk to him, in the hope he might leave her alone. Because if he would snap, then she was the nearest in his reach. There was no telling in what he would do.

"You have finally learned to shut up, haven't you," Barty suddenly remarked when he had her chained with one leg to the bed.

She still didn't want to answer him back. Although something told her that he _wanted_ her to provoke him.

"Tell me, are you finally seeing who is in charge?"

Hermione kept quiet, not even looking him in the eyes.

"It is quite rude not to answer someone's question, you know? Come on, look at me, pet," he said, though it wasn't really a suggestion. It was more of an order.

"Don't you want to be loved?" Hermione asked suddenly, in the hope that maybe there was something human left in him. She didn't know why she was still trying. When she saw his face, with his tongue flicking and his wide eyes that made him look like a maniac even the Death Eaters feared, she knew that it was no use. He was broken beyond repair. He was insane.

"Pardon?" he asked her dangerously.

"Don't you… ever wish to have someone like Elora?" Hermione clarified.

"I never wanted someone like Elora, I only want Elora," he answered. "In fact… as soon as the Dark Lord has taken over the world, I will become one of the most powerful men on this Earth, I could do whatever I like. I could get her back. With me, where she belongs."

Hermione snorted, although she knew he was being serious. He really _would_ try bringing back the dead. He was crazy enough for it.

"And you… you'd do well to keep one of the most powerful men as your friend… Or at least not as your enemy… I could protect you, you know?"

"You haven't got the world yet. And you never will."

He chuckled in the most cruel way Hermione had ever heard.

"Of course we will, you silly girl… The Order won't last for long. We have an overwhelming majority," Barty sneered. "Now go to sleep. I don't want to talk anymore."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, but she didn't say anything. She hadn't expected him to let her go to sleep so early. She had expected him to touch her, but he didn't. The man was really too unpredictable. The biggest question was still why he would keep her alive. He could have killed her already so many times, especially after her 'betrayal'. He was furious, yet he didn't kill her. She was secretly very happy that he allowed her to have some sleep, because she was very tired. Maybe he was too, maybe he just needed to have some sleep. He laid down next to her, clad in only his boxer, while Hermione turned her back towards him. She almost fell asleep, she was almost capable of ignoring his presence next to her. Until she felt his breath in her neck.

"You remind me of her sometimes…" he murmured. "Pretty, talented, clever, very rebellious… almost fearless... Shame you are a Mudblood."

Hermione shifted away from him, trying desperately to ignore him in the hope he would think she was asleep.

"… the Dark Lord won't approve… I can't keep you…" he continued. "I can't protect you, little Gryffindor."

 _He is just trying to scare me off_ , Hermione thought.

"I haven't forgotten what you tried to do to me. I still have your scars on my chest. Yet you still refuse to apologize… Have you forgotten what I promised you after your little act of violence?"

 _Just pretend you are asleep,_ Hermione thought nervously. _He is just trying to scare you… he wants to break you, he wants to see you being hurt, he wants you to apologize so that he will be in charge again._

"Do you need a reminder?" he asked with a menacing edge in his voice, his hot breath against her ear.

 _"_ _I will kill everyone you love for what you have done."_ She could hear his voice saying in her head again.

"No," Hermione whispered.

She immediately shut her eyes tightly, cursing at herself for blowing her cover. Now he definitely knew that she was awake. But she couldn't answer the question that was now in her head. If he had threatened to kill everyone she loved, then why hadn't he? He had the chance with her parents. He had the chance with Neville, with Ginny... Now that she thought of it, he hadn't actually carried out any of his threats.

 _"_ _Master Barty is starting to like you, Miss Granger,"_ Winky's voice sounded in her head.

 _"_ _Master is_ protecting _Miss Granger…"_

 _"…_ _he needs people to care for him…"_

A thought struck Hermione suddenly. He was threatening her… because he wanted to control her? So that he could keep her with him? He _loved_ her? Not that he would ever admit it… Was it even possible that he was capable of loving someone? No, stupid idea. He had hurt her, not only threatened her, he had actually used Unforgivable Curses on her. Although… it would explain why she was still alive. Because there was no one really stopping him from killing her. He didn't need her for his 'plan' anymore, there were plenty of ways to find Harry. Maybe Barty truly thought she resembled his old lover. And in his own insanity, maybe he thought that if he could keep her frightened of him, she would be too scared to try anything in order to escape. And so far, he was succeeding in that. She still felt whenever he rested his cold, dark eyes upon her that he was capable of things far worse than she had experienced. Maybe that wasn't even true, but it worked on her. It even worked on his fellow Death Eaters. He had her in his control, whether she liked it or not. And she knew how mad he would become when she would ask him if he cared for her. He would deny it, he would torture her.

Maybe he was afraid to ever love again.


	22. Chapter 22

**I am soooooo sorry this took me so long! But school is trying to kill me and succeeding in it, so I am fighting to stay alive. That is why I haven't had very much time to write lately. So it took me a lot of effort to write this chapter down, and I am not _very_ pleased about it, but I just didn't want to wait any longer with uploading it. **

**If you have anything to tell me about the story or whatever, feel free to review! Because reviews might just help me to stay alive!**

 **Enjoy! xxxx**

* * *

 _"Come on, Ron, Hermione, they're coming!" Harry shouted, running through a forest, trying to escape the Snatchers that were behind the three of them._

 _"Take my hand!" Hermione yelled._

 _While they kept on running, casting several hexes and spells backwards in the hope to hit some of the Snatchers, the boys came to Hermione to grab her hands. She apparated them quickly, leaving the Snatchers and the forest behind._

 _"Where are we?" Ron asked her, looking out at the see in front of him._

 _"The Strangles, Cornwall," Hermione answered. "First thing that came on my mind."_

 _"You are brilliant, you know that?" Ron smiled. "You can't tell them we are here."_

 _"What?"_

 _"You know you can't tell them."_

 _"What do you mean?" Hermione asked confused._

 _"It's a secret. They can't find us."_

 _"They won't! I won't tell them!" Hermione promised, and she could feel Ron's arms wrapping around her waist._

 _"I love you."_

 _"Don't go, Ron. Please, I love you too!"_

 _"You must wake up," Ron's voice sounded in her ear. But suddenly it wasn't anything like Ron's voice anymore. It was a far less pleasing sound in her ear._

"Wake up, Hermione," the voice told her again.

"No! Don't leave me, Ron!"

The arm that had been around her waist now rose and the hand slapped her hard across the face.

"What was that you couldn't tell me?" Barty growled in her ear.

Hermione shot up straight in the bed, her eyes wide when she saw that it was not Ron talking to her but the Death Eater. And he was impatient.

"Well?"

She vaguely remembered her vivid dream, with her and Ron and Harry running away. She could remember the place they had gone to, in Cornwall. She could remember the promise she had made to Ron. But it had been only a dream. There was no way that it had been real.

"I- it was just a dream… I can't remember," Hermione quickly said.

"Oh, but I can find out if you refuse to tell me," Barty said. "Any information about Potter and the ginger could be useful. Even dreams. Dreams can be very powerful, you know that?"

Hermione shook her head.

"I'll ask you again. What was it you couldn't tell anyone?"

"That… we love each other," Hermione lied quickly. "Ron and I, I mean."

Barty snorted. "I think you are lying."

"I'm not."

"I could use Legilimency on you…"

"I can block you," Hermione snapped.

"There are more than one way to get the truth out of you. Luckily for you, I have already set my eyes on Aberforth Dumbledore, I am going to have a little fun with him first. Then I'll start with you, little witch. Get up now, get dressed."

Hermione quickly jumped out of the bed, happy that she didn't have to be there for any longer. It was then that she noticed that Winky was also in the room. She had already placed Hermione's clothes on the chair for her next to where she had been sleeping, and now she started helping Barty getting dressed. Hermione tried to be as invisible as possible, but she could feel Barty's eyes staring at her as she put on her clothes.

"And behave," Barty warned when he made his way to the door.

She followed him obediently, obedience was the only thing that could make her life with him easier at the moment. He knew that just keeping her with him was all the torture she needed. Because she hated being around him. Down the stairs, Draco was already waiting. With his mother.

"Cissy," Barty said curtly when he saw her. "You are not going to stop me."

His lips formed a small smile, but his eyes were definitely warning the woman in front of him.

"I wasn't going to," Narcissa replied. "But… please, Barty, don't drag him into any danger. Please keep him safe. He is my only son. You wouldn't understand, you have no children."

Barty stared at her with his eyes wide, and Narcissa took a step back, afraid she had said something wrong. Draco, on the contrary, had probably been training to keep up his arrogant attitude. He was less pale than he had been the other day.

"I didn't mean to offend you, of course, but I just want you to know that I care about Draco's safety. I know you don't like the Malfoys, but just keep him safe, alright?" Narcissa asked softly.

"Danger? How is there any danger in Hogsmeade?" Barty said quietly. "The only danger anywhere near the boy will be me… if he misbehaves."

"I won't misbehave," Draco said bitterly.

Barty turned around and he looked at Draco as if he had only just noticed him standing there in the hall. He had definitely noticed the arrogant tone in Draco's voice as well, since he raised his chin slightly and tightened his jaw in a manner that gave him an air of power.

"If I were you, I would be a bit more respectful… You are, after all, completely under my care from now on. No daddy to safe you…"

"He is just a boy," Narcissa hissed, stepping in front of her son protectively.

"He is a Death Eater. And I hope for his sake that he makes a better one than you and your pathetic husband," Barty growled. "Now step aside."

"You're going to promise me to keep him safe first."

"I said…" Barty repeated himself, taking a step closer. "… Step aside."

"You're going to promise me, Bartemius Junior, I am not afraid to hex you," Narcissa said, poking her wand against Barty's throat.

But he wasn't impressed in the slightest. On the contrary, he looked truly dangerous. Narcissa must have seen the dangerous glint in his eyes too, but she didn't back off. Hermione knew he wasn't going to let this pass, the patronizing way Narcissa had used his name and the threats she was giving him. He look down on her, the insanity in his eyes warning her.

"I always thought you were the most reasonable in this house… nothing like your pathetic husband. But here you prove me wrong," Barty scoffed. "Your last warning."

She was shaking now. Her lips were pressed together as if she was arguing with herself. She seemed to know that the worst she could do was curse him. She couldn't kill him. It wouldn't be approved by the Dark Lord. So she lowered her wand and took a step back, which caused Barty to smirk smugly.

"You know how I feel about people threatening me, don't you?"

"You threaten people all the time, why shouldn't I try it for once?"

"Never threaten me, darling," Barty replied. "The fact that you are carrying the name Malfoy isn't helping your case either. Draco, with me."

Draco's white face had returned, but he did follow Barty and Hermione to the front door after saying goodbye to his mother. It was only when they were outside that Hermione realised that Draco was holding his wand in his right hand tightly, his knuckles white.

"You know, _my_ father would have been only too glad if someone would get rid of his son," Barty said casually while walking down the lawn.

Neither Hermione nor Draco said anything to that in response. Mainly because it wasn't very clear what Barty had meant by his words. The most obvious explanation would be that he was giving Draco a warning. Telling the young man that life wasn't _really_ in safe hands.

"Where does this Dumbledore live?"

Draco shrugged. "In Hogsmeade. That's all I know."

Barty narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"That's all you know?" he growled. "I suggest you start thinking harder. _Where_ does he live _exactly_?"

"I don't know exactly!"

"You gave me the impression that you _do_ know where he lives."

"I never said that, I only said that he lives in Hogsmeade."

"You insolent little liar… Not a hair better than your father. But I can change that… because you are going to do exactly what I tell you to, aren't you?" Barty hissed.

"Y-yes," Draco stammered.

"You live to serve the Dark Lord, don't you?"

"Yes…" Draco answered nervously.

"Do you wish to stay alive?"

"Of course!"

"Put your wand away boy. You won't be needing it… yet."

Draco kept his wand firmly in his trembling hand.

"You never know," he said quietly, his face even whiter than it already was.

" _Where_ does the man live?" Barty asked again, now clearly enraged. "You better answer me now…"

"I've told you! I don't know exactly!"

"ANSWER ME!" Barty roared, grabbing Draco's collar to shake the poor boy violently.

"S-somewhere near the church! T-that's all I know! Please!"

Barty pushed Draco away and his widened eyes relaxed a bit, though he still looked rather insane. He was still impatient, he was still dangerously close to exploding.

"Finally. We are getting somewhere."

Then he grabbed Draco's and Hermione's arm firmly, apparating them to the place Draco had indicated in Hogsmeade. There was no one to be seen. Maybe because of the fact that it was still only seven in the morning. And this time of the year, it was still dark and cold. Hermione looked around in the hope that she could see someone or something that could help them, that could warn Aberforth, but there was no one. Until she heard something behind her.

"Show yourself. Drop your wands," a gruff voice ordered.

The three spun around, but neither Barty nor Draco dropped their wands. Instead, they raised them and pointed them at the two dark figures who had just approached them with their wands at the ready as well.

"I said, drop your wands!" the man repeated louder.

"Who are you?" Barty asked softly, _dangerously_.

"I am the one who will be asking the questions. It is still a curfew until eight o'clock. You are not allowed to be here. The Dark Lord's orders. What are you doing here?"

"The Dark Lord's orders?" Barty scoffed. "And I suppose _he_ has given you those orders?"

"Exactly."

"Filthy liar."

"I'm warning you… If you make us angry, you will be punished with the Cruciatus Curse."

"And you know how to use that curse?" Barty sneered. "If you know what's good for you, you'd stop minding my business."

"We are the Dark Lord's loyal Death Eaters. You will tell us what you are doing here and who you are, or else…"

"Or else? You are not a Death Eater, silly man. A Snatcher, maybe, but _not_ a Death Eater. Now get out of our way before you make _me_ angry," Barty growled, his eyes blazing with fire.

"We _are_ Death Eaters, and you are violating the rules. _Who_ are you?"

Both Hermione and Draco were now looking at Barty expectantly, who was really not looking happy. And Hermione could understand why, at least, she could understand from his point of view. He didn't know those men who were standing there, telling him what to do, claiming that they had their orders from Voldemort. And he couldn't stand that. Either that, or they were really no Death Eaters, and just Snatchers. And that would make them liars, or from Barty's perspective, traitors. For a moment Hermione thought that Barty would just kill them both, but apparently he wanted to make a statement, because he rolled up his sleeve, his eyes holding the gaze of the man in front of him. A moving tattoo appeared, a black skull with a snake. The mark of a Death Eater. Even though Hermione knew he had that on his arm, she still found it shocking to see it.

"Now show me yours," Barty growled dangerously, everything about him screaming that he was going to commit a murder.

The two men both backed off slightly, their wands still raised. Though they didn't look so sure about themselves anymore.

"You haven't got one, have you?" Barty snarled. "You dare to pretend to be one of us, but you aren't. You have never even had the honour to be anywhere _near_ the Dark Lord's presence. You don't even know who _we_ are. And yet you _dare_ to bark orders at us, you think you can do whatever you want. Who is in charge of you anyway? Is it Yaxley? It is, isn't it? Well, I'll make sure to talk to him about this."

"I- I am… We didn't realize, sir. I'm so sorry," the man said, now lowering his wand finally, as did the man who was now slightly cowering behind him. "We have, indeed, never had the chance to meet you, we didn't know…"

"You can read the Prophet, can't you?"

"I- I am not much of a reader, sir," the man stammered.

"Maybe I can help you refresh your memories," Barty growled, flicking his wand to produce his favourite curse. " _Crucio_."

The Snatcher fell down on the ground, screaming in pain, but no one seemed to come outside to help him. His colleague only stood there, watching as his fellow Snatcher got tortured. When Barty was done, he grabbed the man's collar, pulling him close.

"Does the name Malfoy sound familiar?" he asked him with venom in his voice.

"Y-yes… T-the l-loyal Death E-eaters of our master…"

Barty raised his fist and connected it with the man's jaw. Hermione quickly looked away, not wanting to see what was happening, but the sound alone already indicated that some parts of the Snatcher's face had been broken.

"Tsk tsk…" Barty tutted. "They are far from loyal… just like you. The boy here is a Malfoy. Second question, does the name Crouch tell you anything?"

"I- no, sir. I- I mean, yes, sir. Pureblood f-family, r-rich. Dead," the man stuttered.

Now Barty lost his patience entirely. He picked up his wand again and he started torturing the man again. Until he was bored. And that took him quite some while. The Snatcher's face was full of blood by the time Barty was done with him.

"Again, wrong answer," Barty sneered. "I am still very much alive… and still very dangerous. And I am very much prepared to kill some disloyal little servants. But…"

The Snatcher looked up, a hopeful glance in his eyes, still muttering little words about mercy and forgiveness, while his fellow Snatcher just stood there, watching, hoping that he wouldn't receive the same torture.

"… I might let you live in exchange of some information."

"A-anything!"

"Where does Aberforth Dumbledore live?"


	23. Chapter 23

**Yay! A longer chapter this time! I was planning on making it more graphic, but I just couldn't do it. Still, it might be quite dark and disturbing, so it is definitely rated M this one. For more reasons than one.**

 **Also, in reaction to the latest review on this; do witches even have period cramps? I mean, it has never been mentioned in the books or in the films. I imagine they all just either take the pill or they possess the powers to magically make the cramps disappear. Or even the whole period thing. I don't think Hermione would be affected by that...**

 **Aaaand I have ended this one with a slight cliffhanger. And I am not sure if I can update already next week, since school is still killing me and demanding too much time. So in the meantime, you can all hope that Barty can restrain himself. But he might not. I still have to write next chapter, so if I am in a bad mood, then things might just go veeeeery wrong.**

 **There haven't been many deaths in this fiction so far anyways, so** ** _maybe_** **it is time to change that :p**

 **But I won't spoil anything. Read for yourself :)**

 **Enjoy! See you next chapter Xxx**

* * *

It didn't take too much time to make the Snatchers reveal the location of Aberforth Dumbledore. In fact, they were even very happy to show the exact house themselves. So it took them only five minutes to reach the house of Dumbledore, leaving Barty very content. When they were at the door, Barty sent the two men away again.

"Right, Draco… Your turn now. Show me what you're worth," Barty sneered, pushing Draco towards the front door.

"What do you want me to do then?" Draco asked nervously.

He probably knew very well what was expected from him, he just was too afraid to actually _do_ it. Hermione knew that Draco was not a Death Eater like the others. He wasn't that keen on killing and torturing others. He had a big mouth, he had an arrogant attitude, but there it stopped. He was just as much a killer as Hermione was.

"Find out where Potter is," Barty growled, as if talking to a child. "And make sure to hurry up, because I want to have results finally."

Draco gulped and nodded swiftly, trying to open the front door with a simple _Alohomora._ But of course that didn't work. The blond boy looked expectantly at Barty, who growled in annoyance and yanked the boy out of the way, raising his own wand. The door exploded with a lot of noise, probably wakening the whole town, but Barty pretended not to notice as he stepped over the remains of the door, followed by Draco and Hermione. Once inside, he waited for a second, letting Draco take the lead again. Draco walked somewhat anxiously through the hall, opening the door that led them inside the living room.

"What is the meaning of this?" a loud voice growled from the other side of the room that belonged to an old man with a long beard in long night robes.

"I- We… Are you- Aberforth?" Draco asked with a shaky voice.

"A bit more convincing," Barty hissed coldly with a dangerous edge in his voice.

"Death Eater, are you?" Aberforth asked somewhat sarcastically, not sounding very impressed.

"So you are Aberforth?" Draco repeated, now sounding more confident, although he was still visibly shaking.

Hermione couldn't blame him, she would feel sick too if she had to do this. She would also be shaking, she would also have the colour of a white sheet of paper. Aberforth seemed to be taking everything very calmly.

"I want to know where Potter is," Draco said when Aberforth didn't answer him. "And we have very good reason to believe that you can contact him."

"Oh? Well, I don't know anything, so you can just as well leave me again," the old man simply replied.

Barty eyes the man suspiciously. "Are you one of them? The Order? Do you work for them?"

Aberforth gave Barty a rather patronizing look in return.

"I don't choose sides. I am just living my life. I'm an old man, so what's the point?"

"We are winning, _our_ side is winning. And if you wish to _have_ a rest of your life, then you really should tell us everything you know," Barty growled.

"Please… just tell us what you know," Draco said, his hand with his wand shaking.

"Don't be so shy, Draco… Use the curse on him," Barty ordered.

For a moment, Draco seemed to be determined to do as he was told. But his face immediately changed into something entirely else. He looked scared, he looked like a frightened young boy who wouldn't want to hurt a fly. But Barty could also see that moment of weakness.

"Don't crawl back now, boy," he snarled. "If you are not with me, you are against me. And we both know what will happen then…"

That gave Draco some new courage, apparently, because he tightened his grip around his wand. He'd still rather torture an innocent old man than being tortured himself. He wasn't really like Hermione then.

"C-Crucio," Draco said softly, but the determination and fear made sure that his spell was effective enough. It had brought Aberforth down on the floor, screaming.

But it didn't last for long. Not even for ten seconds. But it was enough to make Aberforth talk.

"I have a mirror," he panted. "That is all I have, I can't contact the boy with it. But I can see him, sometimes. Just have it, if you must."

Barty's eyes only glistered in excitement, as he followed Aberforth's gaze towards the wall where a broken mirror was hanging. Only one piece was entirely missing. But very striking was that the mirror didn't give a reflection. It was just black. There was nothing to be seen.

"He shows up occasionally, like a painting," Aberforth said. "As if the boy would just come to Hogwarts. You won't find him. He has a map, he knows exactly what is going on at Hogwarts. He knows that there are Death Eaters everywhere. He won't come. Now can you leave me alone?"

Barty smiled his most cold smile, telling Aberforth without using words that he was certainly not planning on leaving him alone yet.

"A map?" he asked softly. "Tell me more."

"I don't see why this is relevant to you?" Aberforth retorted irritated.

"Just tell me, and I might leave you alone."

Aberforth sighed heavily. "A map that shows everyone that is in the castle. It is a map of Hogwarts, showing everyone who is walking around. So Potter knows exactly what is going on."

"Ah…" Barty said, thinking deeply about that last remark.

"I feel sick," Hermione interrupted, not lying about that. Another clue for the Death Eaters. Another step towards Harry and Ron's location. They would find them, eventually. Barty was not stupid, after all. He knew how he could use this information for his own benefit. If Hermione could figure it out, then so could he. And that thought was terrifying.

"Can I use the bathroom for a sec?" she asked with a shaky voice.

Aberforth nodded, slightly confused, but he pointed her the right direction.

"Wait!" Barty ordered, stopping Hermione from leaving the room on her own. "I'm coming with you. I can't leave you alone, can I?"

Hermione's stomach now turned completely, he still followed her to everywhere she went. If his obsession for finding Harry didn't already make her sick, then his constant company would. He walked with her towards the door, turning towards Draco before leaving the room.

"Oh, Draco, we are not done with the old man yet," he sneered. "Find out how he can contact Hogwarts… Or more specifically, how he can contact Neville Longbottom."

Something about Draco told Hermione already that he wasn't going to find out how Aberforth could contact Neville. It was probably more likely that the two were going to have a cup of tea together rather than Draco torturing the old man for more information. But nevertheless, Draco nodded and Barty seemed to trust Draco not to run away. Not that running would be very effective in Draco's case, since he had the Dark Mark on him, making him traceable for the Death Eaters. So the fact that Barty had decided to stay with Hermione was not so surprising, really. He knew that she could be of some use to him. In order to find Harry and Ron.

"Stop following me, would you?" Hermione growled impatiently.

"Tired of me already? Shame, because you still have a lot of time to spend with me… You know what my plan is, don't you?"

"You want to use me to find Harry."

"Exactly! You are the key! I knew it!" Barty told her proudly. "If Potter has a map that tells him who is at Hogwarts, then he'll see you. And he'll be stupid enough to come for you. Because that is how Potter's head works. He sees his friend with a Death Eater, his missing friend, and he just has to rescue her. No matter how stupid and dangerous it is."

"He won't be that naïve. Now leave me alone, I wanted to be alone."

"I have been thinking, Hermione…" Barty said slowly, not listening to Hermione's wishes. "About whether or not to let you go after we have Potter."

"So?" Hermione said impatiently.

"So… I have decided not to let you go."

"What?! Well, don't think I am going to _stay_ with _you_. You are not going to win anyways! You are going to lose this war. Voldemort is going to lose and you are going to die!" Hermione yelled, backing away from the Death Eater.

"Don't be so difficult, little witch. We are already winning. And staying with me is only for your own good. You are, after all, a Mudblood. Staying with me means you are protected, and not many Mudbloods can say that. Most of them will probably be killed or locked away," Barty said, shrugging his shoulders as if it was normal what he was saying. "But I found myself… _attached_ to you. I know it sounds strange, but you are so much like _her_. So rebellious, so strong, intelligent, beautiful, confident… She would never have given up her ideals either. Just like you, Hermione. You're too much like her."

" _What?_ " Hermione snapped, folding her arms. "You deluded lunatic. Are you saying that you want to keep me by your side just because I remind you of your lost love? Did you treat her like this as well? Like a prisoner? Did you torture her as well? Did you yell at her, hurt her, _rape_ her?"

"Watch your mouth, girl," Barty hissed, clearly becoming angry again.

"Oh, you don't want me to talk about you like that? It is only the truth. Can't you handle it? Is it too much for the oh so strong and evil Death Eater?" Hermione taunted.

"Enough now," Barty growled venomously, his eyes wide. "I respected her. I loved her."

"You can't love."

Much to her surprise, Barty started to laugh. It was a manic laugh, but it was still a laugh. He wasn't shouting at her, he wasn't torturing her. Just laughing.

"This is exactly what I meant," he grinned. "So rebellious and strong and confident that it becomes dangerous. You think you can impress me… But really, you are arousing me."

"Fine, as long as you'll stay away from me," Hermione snapped, though she already knew that he won't do as she asked. "Don't you touch me."

"Oh, darling, you'd better start accepting that you are not going to escape from me," Barty hissed, his body capturing her against the wall. "Do you want my protection or not?"

"I don't need your protection," Hermione said with a brave voice, spatting in his face. "Not that I have a choice, apparently."

"If you don't start behaving, I might give you to Greyback for one night. Would you like that, little witch?" Barty growled, pressing himself even more firmly against her.

"You wouldn't."

"You want to find out what I would and wouldn't do?"

"You know you won't get me back in one piece if you do that."

"Greyback also knows I won't leave _him_ in one piece if he kills or turns you."

"Empty threats, Crouch. I know you don't want to lose me, if you are going through all this trouble to keep me with you. If I didn't know better, I would start thinking that you are starting to like me."

"My life is lonely, you know? Alone in my manor. Surrounded by traitors. With only Winky as my constant company…"

"Carrow was more than willing."

"She is a _traitor_ ," Barty growled. "You, on the other hand, are still young, pure. I can _teach_ you to be loyal to me and the Dark Lord. Trust me, I can."

"More empty threats… I will _never_ throw myself at the feet of that cold monster like you did!" Hermione snapped and she put her hands on his chest, trying to push him off her. But he wouldn't budge.

"Stay still and I won't hurt you," he growled with a menacing edge in his voice, his tongue flicking out of his mouth, which was already a dangerous sign.

Of course it would hurt. In more than one way. He had done it before, and he would do it again. And as soon as Hermione got a wand in her hands, she would kill the bastard for it. She could feel that he was indeed aroused. She could feel him through his jeans and hers against her lower stomach. And inwardly, she was panicking. She didn't dare to look him in the eyes, she knew that they were cruel and dark and full of bad intensions. She didn't dare to move either, afraid that she would only give him more excitement. She pressed her eyes fiercely shut, trying to think about even worse scenarios. For example spending a night with Greyback.

But just when she had shut his presence almost out, she suddenly felt his lips on hers. Something he had not done before. He was _kissing_ her. And she didn't like it at all. And that in combination with his hands on places she really didn't want them to be, made her sick. Her eyes snapped open again and she started fighting him, her fists beating him on the shoulders, her head trying to avoid his. It didn't bring her anywhere. He lifted her up slightly against the wall, bringing her on the same eye level as him, forcing her to look at him with one hand by seizing her jaw firmly.

" _Don't_ make me angry, Granger," he growled softly, his eyes burning into hers. "That really is a bad move…"

"I'll shout for help. I'll scream until someone comes here," Hermione tried, knowing very well that it wouldn't help her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" Barty said, his hand removed from her jaw now and trailing down. His tone made it very clear that he was trying to scare her. And he was succeeding.

"I'll do it," Hermione warned him when he started to work on her trousers.

He didn't answer her anymore. He was too caught up in what he was doing. There was such a manic glint in his eyes that made Hermione desperate to run away. So that made her take her decision.

"HELP!" she screamed, as loud as she could. "HELP ME!"

Of course she knew that there were still two other people in the room next to them. They would definitely hear her. And although Barty covered her mouth quickly, with such a murderous look on her face that told her she was going to be very sorry for this, the damage was already done. Because she already heard footsteps coming closer. Barty immediately drew his wand, just a moment later, Draco rushed into the room with his wand at the ready. But when he saw the scene in front of him, with an enraged Barty and a Hermione that was terrified and pressed against the wall, he seemed to understand what was going on.

"I- I am sorry," Draco apologized mainly to Barty. Because he didn't need to be sorry towards Hermione. On the contrary.

"What were you thinking, you little fool," Barty growled, taking a step towards Draco.

"I heard shouting! I just- you might have been hurt!"

"If I would have been hurt, Granger would not have shouted," Barty hissed.

"I'm sorry… I- I'll leave you alone to- to… well…" Draco stuttered, already making a move towards the door.

"Stay here you idiot!" Barty ordered loudly, his previous excitement now completely replaced by rage. "You left him, didn't you?"

"W-who?"

"The old man."

Draco's eyes widened, both in realization and in fear. Because the answer wouldn't really please Barty. He nodded carefully, taking another step back.

"What were you thinking, eh?" Barty said impatiently, now with a louder voice. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!"

That last booming voice made Draco cringe, cowering back from the furious Death Eater.

"I- I am s-sorry!"

"SORRY IS NOT ENOUGH!" Barty yelled. "HE IS GONE! HE KNOWS OUR PLAN!"

"He doesn't!" Draco said quickly. "He doesn't know Granger!"

"OF COURSE HE DOES! HE IS NOT STUPID! HE'LL TELL THE ORDER!"

Barty stormed over to Draco, raising his wand at him.

"Wait!" Draco tried. "You can't! Y-you swore to my mum-"

"She's not here, is she? I can do whatever I see fit," Barty said, panting slightly, but his voice lowered down to a more normal volume. "I really hope for you that I have enough self-constraint left to stop myself from killing you."

"P-please…" Draco tried again.

" _Crucio_."


	24. Chapter 24

**Yay! A next chapter! I'm sorry for the long wait, but I hope it was worth it. I have the feeling that I am really stretching this story, without getting to an end. So do tell me if it is getting boring, but I can assure you that I do have an idea of where this fic is going to... The ending just much depends on wheter I am in a good mood or not. If I am in a bad mood, then there is a pretty high chance that the Dark Side is going to win :p**

 **Enjoy the chapter! XX**

* * *

It was as if there would come no end to Draco's torture. The boy screamed in pain and yelled for mercy, but there was none to be found. And all Hermione could do was watch. Because no matter how caught up Barty was in torturing Malfoy, he was still very observant. There was no chance that she could be quick enough to grab something with which she could smash the Death Eater's head and cause him a permanent brain damage. Even though she had never really liked Draco, she couldn't watch this. She wanted it to stop.

"STOP IT!" she yelled, taking a step forward in a brave moment.

"Stay where you are, Granger," Barty growled. "Your moment will come later. I am not done with you yet."

"I can't watch this! You're killing him!"

"No one is forcing you to watch. When we get back at the Manor, you'll have plenty of time to watch me, don't you worry."

He intensified the curse even more, but this time there was no screaming anymore. Draco's body was completely lifeless.

"So weak," Barty mumbled.

"You've killed him!" Hermione cried horrified, her eyes widening. She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't stop the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She was just terrified of Barty, of what he had done, and of what he was going to do to her after this.

"Don't be so hysterical. It's a torturing curse. Not a killing curse," Barty replied annoyed. " _Rennervate"._

Draco opened his eyes again, very slowly.

"I wasn't finished with you, you little coward," Barty snarled.

"P-please…" Draco croaked, not being able to move.

Barty grabbed Draco's chin violently.

"What side are you on?"

"Yours- the… the Dark side of course…"

"LIAR!" Barty roared.

"I-I am speaking the truth!" Draco said weakly, all his fight gone.

"Do you realize…" Barty hissed close to the boy's ear, "that the Dark Lord is going to hold _me_ responsible for your foolish actions?"

Draco could only squeak something that no one could understand properly.

"So I am going to be punished by our master. Therefore, I am going to make sure you wish you were never born… you are going to get more pain that you have ever experienced. You deserve it."

Draco started to cry. Hermione felt that she had to do something, that she had to take responsibility for this, but she didn't know what she _could_ do. Barty's madness was radiating from his whole body and his widened eyes and nervous tongue flick and the way he was torturing Draco like a maniac told her that he wasn't going to like an interference from her side. Trying to stop him would be a very dangerous thing to do. And since this was all partly her own fault, since she had been the one to scream for help in the first place, he would already be furious with her. She was just as much guilty as Draco in Barty's eyes. He would hurt her in many ways as soon as he was done playing around with Draco. She could hear the young Malfoy muttering something about his parents.

"… I don't give a damn about what your parents will do. I don't give a damn about you being alive or not. The reason I keep you alive is because I need the Dark Lord's permission to kill you," she heard Barty hissing.

"Please…"

"CRUCIO!"

Again the screaming, the agony, the terrible shouts full of pain accompanied by the manic laughing coming from the Death Eater. Draco was convulsing until he passed out again And Barty would make sure that he became conscious once more, just to make Draco feel the pain of the torture.

"Please stop it!" Hermione now yelled. "You are torturing him into insanity! He will end up in St. Mungo's!"

Finally Barty froze, torn out of his own little twisted world back to reality. So he did hear her. And he was still thinking rationally apparently, at least to some extent, because he lowered his wand and grabbed Draco's neck to pull the boy up, who was very close to passing out again.

"Stay on your feet," Barty growled.

But of course as soon as he let go, Draco fell on the floor again. But Barty didn't seem to notice. Or he just didn't care. Instead of paying attention to Draco, he now turned towards Hermione to give her a wicked grin. That grin was dangerous. That grin was telling Hermione to back away, to run. He was the predator, she was his prey, trapped in the corner as he advanced on her with slow paces and narrowed eyes.

"You shouldn't have screamed," he told her with a low voice. "You should have obeyed me."

There was nothing that could help her now. Nothing she could use against him. The only other person in the room was Draco, and he was practically unconscious. He couldn't even move properly anymore. And Hermione found that she couldn't move either. Barty's eyes were fixed on hers, cold hatred and insanity burning in his eyes.

"Do you feel brave now?"

No. She didn't. She wasn't brave at all at the moment. She was just a vulnerable little girl who couldn't fight for herself. Which was very much true. With her wand, she would have killed the bastard for this. Without her wand, she was nothing.

"You know it, don't you?" Barty continued, frightening her even more. "That you are powerless."

Hermione felt her own eyes falling to the floor in betrayal of her own mind. She didn't want to show any weaknesses, but she found that she couldn't help herself. So she closed her eyes, and she waited for what was going to come.

"Now be a good little witch and let me finish what we have started, without fighting me," Barty ordered, leaving no room for arguments.

He grabbed her shoulders and threw her against the wall violently, without trying to be careful in the slightest. She couldn't think anymore, everything around her became a blur. Perhaps partly due to the hard connection of her head with the wall, but mostly because of _him_. She could smell his perfume, the leather of his jacket, she could feel his stubble against her cheek as he breathed in her ear. She could feel his hardness in his pants. She could feel his hand grabbing her wrist, forcing her hand down towards his trousers. She could feel every moment, every little action, every move. But she couldn't hear anything. There was only the sound of her own blood rushing through her ears. She could hear her own anger, her fear, and her helplessness all at once.

But not hearing anything did not make it less worse. She could still feel the cold wall against her back and the warmth of the Death Eater's body against the rest of her body. His hands were ripping apart her clothes, they were feeling up her body, they were solely directed at his own and selfish pleasure. He did not once care about her.

As soon as he pounded into her, she became suddenly aware of the sounds. Not many sounds, just his panting in her ear. Accompanied with the feeling of his teeth biting into her skin. And not softly, he bit her in an animalistic way, only to emphasize his dominance and to make her feel like his property.

"I won't have it like this. Kiss me back," he grunted in her ear.

Apparently she wasn't satisfying him. Apparently Mister Death Eater wanted her to show him affection. As if he was expecting her to adore him, to admire him. All she could do was despise him. Also the way he told her to kiss him back, as if he had been kissing her with tenderness and love. He made it sound like _she_ was the one who was not loving. It made her want to vomit. She didn't give him what he had ordered her to do. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He would have his way with her anyways. No matter what she did. He would just continue until his own urges were fulfilled. She just waited for him to finish with her eyelids pressed tightly shut.

But just before he did finish, Hermione got an idea. Something that would only piss him off even more, so it was a very stupid and very dangerous idea, but it would give her some sense of power. That was what she was trying to do, after all, she didn't want to give herself over, she had to keep fighting. Even if that meant risking her own life. She was being weak right now, and that was not who she was. Her hand shot down towards his manhood, and she grabbed it quickly and firmly. Barty's eyes widened for a moment in surprise, but then he screamed in pain when Hermione pulled as hard as she could. This was probably the most dangerous thing she had ever tried on him. He had been on the edge of finishing, so he wouldn't be very happy. That was an understatement. If there ever was a moment to be scared of Barty, then this was it.

At least he was in pain now, at least he wouldn't touch her anymore. For now. He would probably make her life even more of a hell when they arrived back at the Manor, but now he was in pain and certainly not eager to finish what he had started. But he _was_ livid. Beyond livid. Probably both for the fact that Hermione had caused him pain and because of the fact that he had been so close to finishing. He lunged forward again, to grab her throat with his cold hand.

"That was not really smart, now was it?" He hissed with eerie calm, squeezing her throat even more tightly.

He didn't elaborate any further. And the not knowing where his remark was going, which had been obviously meant as a very dangerous threat, was more terrifying than him actually torturing her with the Cruciatus Curse. His eyes narrowed as he let go of her throat again. He fastened his own belt again and he put his shirt back in his trousers. Hermione only shot him a dirty look, as if she was unfazed by his menacing behaviour, and she tried to cover herself the best she could. Although that was difficult seeing that most of her clothes were ripped.

"Open your eyes and stand up, you weak piece of scum," Barty growled, kicking the unmoving body of Draco in the stomach.

It was effective though, since Draco seemed to be able to move all of a sudden. Hermione wondered how much he had consciously seen of the not quite completed rape Barty had just commited. She wondered if he would be even able to think clearly.

Hermione was still struggling with her blouse that wasn't quite covering her body the way she wanted it to anymore. And she could feel Barty's eyes on her as she was trying to button it up the best she could.

"Don't look at me, you pervert," she snarled.

His still furious eyes widened once more, madness seeping through, freezing Hermione's body. He grabbed her neck and brought his mouth to her ear.

"I'll do with you as I please," he whispered, sending shivers through her spine. "You won't get rid of me that easily. Tonight… I will tie you down. You won't be able to move. And I will make sure that you can't walk properly for _days_."

When he let go of her neck, Hermione could feel her own heart ramming in her chest. Out of pure fear. She had only delayed her torture. But it would come nonetheless. In an even more painful way probably. And she would be lucky if she survived it. Just like Draco had been lucky to survive this.

"We're leaving," Barty announced. "I have some reports for our master."

He grabbed Hermione's arm and then Draco's, apparating them back to Malfoy Manor. Hermione noticed the relieved glance in Draco's eyes when he saw his own house. He was relatively safe now, he had his parents to protect him here. But Hermione had no one to protect her. Barty would go to Voldemort, he would get a punishment for Draco's failing, and he would out his anger on Hermione. Because there was no one else to stop him or to care about her.

With Draco stumbling behind them, trying to keep up the best way he could, they finally reached the hall. And as soon as Hermione saw Winky rushing to welcome them, she felt herself smiling. She couldn't help it, but it was almost as if she saw Winky as a friend. While she had only been serving Barty to his every shim and endangering Hermione in some cases, Winky was still the closest to a friend she would get at the Death Eater camp. She was a familiar face, and the least harmful creature around her at the moment.

"Master Barty! Winky is happy to see you is alright!" Winky told her master, genuinely excited.

Another person enter the hall straight after, probably because of the sounds coming from the hall. It was Narcissa, who of course immediately saw the poor state her son was in.

"Draco! Draco?" she said, while entering the hall.

Draco looked at her, with pain in his eyes, and he collapsed again.

"DRACO! Draco? Barty, what happened to him?!" Narcissa exclaimed, slightly panicked.

"He ruined the mission. Aberforth escaped. I had to punish him," Barty explained.

He sounded calm, but it was very clear that he wasn't going to accept an argument.

"LUCIUS!" Narcissa cried, kneeling down beside her son. Her husband came almost immediately. "Look at what Crouch has done to our boy…"

"What?! You did this, Crouch?" Lucius bellowed.

Barty raised his chin. "You know very well how I react when someone is pissing me off."

Lucius was ready to draw his wand, not really intending to listen to Barty, but then Bellatrix also entered the room. Hermione rolled her eyes. Just what they needed. Even more drama.

"You are back early," she said when she saw Barty, and then her eyes fell on Draco. "What happened?"

"This asshole has tortured our son! That's what happened!" Lucius yelled enraged, now drawing his wand and aiming it at Barty.

"No matter how much I would like to fight you, Malfoy, I have to go and pay the Dark Lord a visit now."

"You'll pay for this first," Lucius growled.

Barty only chuckled lightly. "You'd better make sure your son is still alive instead of threatening me. Because I am not sure how badly I have hurt him, to be honest."

Lucius's eyes widened, and after glowering at Barty, he kneeled down beside his son as well. Barty saw that as his chance to get away from the hall, as he grabbed Hermione's arm and dragged her towards the dining hall. They were followed by Bellatrix.

"Barty?" she questioned. "You are not taking the girl with you to the Dark Lord, are you?"

"Why?"

"The Dark Lord won't approve. He wouldn't like seeing you being intimate with the Mudblood."

"I am not intimate with her," Barty denied.

"Oh? My eyes say different," she retorted, glancing at Hermione's ripped blouse. "Do you intend to keep her?"

"As long as she obeys and satisfies, yes. She is very entertaining," Barty smirked.

"And does she obey you now?"

Barty glared at the witch, but he didn't lie to her either. "Not entirely, no."

"So she still hasn't learned. Or you are still being too soft…"

"I am not soft," Barty growled.

The fact that she doesn't obey you means that you are not dominant enough," Bellatrix scoffed. "You need to have more authority. She is a Gryffindor. She is used to being rebellious."

"She keeps resisting me."

"Then you need to be more forceful." Then Bellatrix turned towards Hermione. "Why would you resist Barty? He is everything a witch would desire; rich, powerful, handsome… yet you don't obey him. He could rise you, since you are only a Mudblood. Ever thought of that? Because I can see it in his eyes… He doesn't want to admit it though, but he wants to keep you with him. He doesn't want to lose you. I think he might even start to… _love_ you. Isn't that right, darling?"

Barty just glared at her.

"You haven't killed her yet. Even though she doesn't throw herself at your feet to do your bidding. Is that what turns you on, Barty? A little bitch who is able to resist?"

"I don't love her."

"Let me teach her some manners while you are away. Let me play with your toy for a bit," Bellatrix said with a not so pleasant smirk on her face.

"Fine," Barty growled, after thinking hard. "But mind you, I want her back in one piece."

"You know you can trust me, darling," Bellatrix smiled. "We are going to have so much _fun_ together, aren't we, Granger?"

Of course Hermione didn't answer. She was definitely not going to have fun.

"I'll be back in an hour, hopefully," Barty told them. "WINKY!"

Winky appeared immediately, bowing deeply for both her own master and Bellatrix.

"What can Winky do for master Barty?" she asked.

"You'll come with me," Barty told the house-elf.

Hermione's heart sank when she saw Barty leaving with Winky. Now even Winky was gone, all her hope was gone. She was left behind with Bellatrix. For an entire hour.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello again! I know, it's been far too long, and I am very sorry about that, but I have good reasons. No, I don't, actually. Just school. Too much work, too many exams. Anyways, it took me a very long time to write this chapter, so I hope it has been worth it :)**

 **Hopefully the next chapter won't take me months to write, but I can't promis anything...**

 **Enjoy this chapter, and let me know what you think! Ideas are welcome, btw :/**

 **xxx**

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Being left alone with only Bellatrix for an entire hour was already bad enough as it was. Hermione couldn't feel her muscles anymore, she was in so much pain that she didn't even have any energy left to scream. Even worse, Bellatrix felt the urge to carve in Hermione's skin with a knife, because Mudbloods had to be given a Muggle-like treatment. But it didn't stop with the Cruciatus Curse and all the blood caused by the knife. Hermione was forced to stay conscious the entire time during her torture, even though she fought to have a rest. All she wanted was peace and rest, not more tortures after what Barty had already done to her. Bellatrix was only doing this for her own fun, not because she found Hermione disobedient. An insane Death Eater like her wouldn't even be capable of thinking reasonably.

After what seemed like ages, even though Barty would only been gone for one hour, two other men entered the room. Hermione couldn't see clearly anymore, but she was fairly certain that she hadn't seen them before. Snatchers, presumably. They started to touch her. And Bellatrix didn't stop them. The three of them were just laughing, which made Hermione sick. But she wasn't able to do anything about it. She couldn't help but thinking about Barty, it was a strange and twisted feeling, but she _wanted_ him to come back. She knew he wouldn't allow this to happen. It was a mad idea that the Death Eater who had hurt her so much, who had threatened her, who had raped her, who had taken innocent lives, was now the only hope she could think of. He would _save_ her. It was a wrong thought, and of course she knew it wouldn't be true, but somewhere she knew that Barty would want her for himself. He wouldn't allow strangers to touch her.

But he still hadn't returned. Hermione wanted to push the two men away from her, but she didn't have the strength to fight. She didn't even have the strength to talk. She couldn't even scream anymore. All she could do was squeeze her eyes tight, praying that the man who was just as insane as the three people torturing her would come to her rescue.

She knew when he was finally back, she could tell by the fact that suddenly the pain and the touches stopped. There was a sudden silence in the room, the laughter had stopped. It was eerily quiet, and Hermione knew then that Barty had to be back, that he had to be in the room, and that he had seen what they had been doing to her. And her thoughts were confirmed when she could see his tall posture in the corner of her eye. Her sight was just good enough to see the fury on his face, and strangely, she felt some feeling of safety when she saw that. Because the rage was not directed at her, but at the men who had backed away from her. Not at Bellatrix though, he probably liked Bellatrix far too much to be really angry with her. But those two men… they were going to pay.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Barty growled with a voice that indicated that people were going to get hurt very soon.

He had his wand in front of him, his hands trembling with rage. Now that the two men were off her, Hermione could feel her body relaxing slightly.

"Oooh you are in trouble…" Bellatrix grinned, clearly enjoying herself. "You shouldn't have played with Barty's toy… He doesn't like that."

"Shut your mouth, Bella," Barty spat, though not nearly as furiously as when he spoke to the two men. "You two have guts, going against my explicit orders like that."

The men were too busy with fastening their trousers to answer him back, which Barty found clearly annoying.

"When I left… I said I wanted her back in one piece. And what do I find when I get back?"

"The Mudblood is still in one piece, stop being such a child," the largest of the two man growled, and obviously the bravest. "Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, Crouch?"

"How _dare_ you… To talk to me like that. _Me_. Let me tell you, you should fear for your life right now… Because I have no reason to spare you, whoever you may be," Barty hissed.

The man's eyes now showed some hint of horror, what Hermione knew was completely justified given the situation, because there was no way the man was going to survive this.

"You- you don't want to kill me," the man said, not entirely convinced of his own words.

"Give me one good reason," Barty told him impatiently.

There was a painful silence when the man, presumably another Snatcher, couldn't come up with an answer to that. Which made Barty lose his patience with the man completely.

"ANSWER ME, OR I SWEAR I'LL RIP OUT YOUR GUTS WITH MY BARE HANDS!" he bellowed, storming over to where the Snatcher was shrinking away.

Hermione could no longer see his face, but she had a very good idea of how terrifying his face must have been that moment. His wide eyes, his nervous tongue flick, his jaw clenched… She could only hope that he would be somewhat calmer when he had taken out his anger on the Snatchers.

"You insolent little coward," Barty sneered. "Haven't you learned by now that you should _never_ insult a Death Eater? You still haven't learned your lesson, after all this time? You are _inferior_ to our group, you are not worthy of the title, you are not worthy of life…"

"I- I only wish to serve, s-sir," the man tried, but of course it would be in vain.

"Calling me sir now? Bit too late for that, you should've shown me respect while you still could," Barty hissed, with a hint of amusement in his voice. "You don't wish to serve, you only care about your own selfish needs."

Hermione was too weak to scoff at that, but she nearly did when she heard the irony of his words. He might want to serve Voldemort in contrast to those men, but he never cared about anyone else either. He was just as much fixed on his own selfish needs.

"Now say sorry, both of you," Barty ordered, gesturing with his wand impatiently.

"S-sorry," the two of them stammered.

"To the _girl_."

Now that was something Hermione didn't expect coming from him. He had not even looked at her since he had arrived, let alone that he would care about the state she was in at the moment.

"What? Are you serious?" the smaller man asked incredulously.

"NOW!" Barty roared, making the men jump.

"I am not apologizing to a Mudblood!" the smaller Snatcher frowned.

"Is that so?" Barty asked, circling around him.

The room was now completely quiet, everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

"Should I _force_ you to do it?"

The man now looked at his feet, clearly unsure what he should do. He was terrified, but not enough.

"This is your last warning…"

Even though the Snatcher was probably a lot older than Barty, there was some sort of aura of power and dominance around the Death Eater that could make you cower back even if you didn't want to. Somehow the younger man, who was probably one of the youngest Death Eaters, could make you fear him without even doing anything. And that was exactly what was happening to the Snatcher. There was a doubt in the man's eyes, he wanted to maintain his dignity, but he also didn't want to refuse the Death Eater who was looking ready to murder.

"You bore me," Barty growled. " _Avada Kedavra_."

A green light flashed through the room, making the other Snatcher gasp and causing Bellatrix to giggle again. Hermione remained impassive, she couldn't really care anymore what happened. She could see, however, that the other man had drawn his wand now. She shrieked when she saw the man aiming his wand at Barty, cautioning the Death Eater. No matter how badly he had been treating her the past few months, she still wanted Barty to stay alive right now. He was her only chance of surviving here. He had been right about that, she needed his protection. He was the only one who seemed to want her alive. Without him, she would have been dead. She would never see her friends again.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Barty roared enraged when the Snatcher fired a curse at him, which he could block just in time thanks to Hermione.

Of course he started firing curses back with a high speed and with a skilled precision. The Snatcher could barely defend himself, so quick were the curses the Death Eater sent at him. It was a rather one-sided duel that had started, perhaps because the Snatcher was just too slow, or perhaps because Barty was just too angry, making him even more dangerous. Eventually, Barty succeeded in disarming the man, leaving him completely vulnerable and to his mercy.

"Now… what to do with _you_ …" Barty said smoothly, taking in the fear on the man's face calmly.

Everyone in the room already knew what he was going to do to the man, Barty was just delaying the moment, enjoying the helpless man's expression which had turned into pure terror. He let out a humourless and cold laugh, a sound that made Hermione shiver.

"Why did you attack me?" he asked, challenging the older man in front of him. "Well?"

He didn't get an answer.

" _Well_?"

Urging the man to answer didn't seem to help very much either. And that caused Barty to lose his already very thin patience.

"CRUCIO!" he yelled, making the man scream.

It was not even clear why exactly Barty was this furious with the man. He had clearly not been too happy with Hermione when she had pissed him off earlier, he was probably frustrated after his visit to Voldemort, he might have been angry because the men had been touching Hermione, and he may not have liked that one of them had tried to attack him, but he was punishing the man far too worse for his so-called committed crimes. If Barty would have just killed him, it would have been enough. But what he was doing now, was far worse than just death.

In the meantime, Bellatrix was only encouraging him. She even started to help him at some point, making the man's torture only two times as bad. No one was going to stop them from going too far. Not that it would matter, they would kill the man anyways. Hermione could smell the blood, a smell that made her want to vomit. She passed out before she could see or hear how the stranger's life was going to end.

The next thing Hermione knew when she woke up, was that she was lying in a large bed, covered in a warm duvet. It took her some time to remember what had happened, but then it all came back to her. She shot up straight in the bed, looking around quickly, seeing that Barty was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room. He glanced up when he saw her, and Hermione silently cursed herself for moving so loudly. She should have pretended to be asleep. He grinned at her, though his expression was still cold and his anger was clearly not gone yet.

"Good. So you're awake," he stated.

"So that you can hurt me even further? Don't you even think about it. Why did you even save me from those people, it's not like you care," Hermione snapped, even though her head was still aching very badly.

"You're wrong," he said darkly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at that.

"… What?"

"You say I don't care. I do. I found out that I _do_ care. Because seeing you being treated like that made me _furious_. That means I care, right?"

She scoffed at that, not believing her ears when she heard the irony in those words.

"You deranged bastard. How _dare_ you say that when you did all of that to me yourself, even worse," she growled.

"Because you wouldn't obey me."

" _Nothing_ can serve as an excuse for the things you have done."

He stood up and walked towards her, making her shift away further. He flicked his tongue, only once. Which was new to Hermione. It was as if he was irritated, but not _quite_. She was annoying him, that was certain.

"Have you forgotten… what you did to me this morning?" he asked softly, with a hint of a growl in his voice.

"That was self-defence, you git."

"I don't care what you call it. You just need to do as you are told, and I won't have to use violence against you. We could live together without attacking each other."

"And let you do whatever you want with me?"

"Exactly."

"Forget it."

"My dearest girl… how am I supposed to be nice if you don't try the same thing? You should _thank_ me for saving you today. You would have been in a much worse state if it weren't for me."

"I'll never thank you for anything. I've told you I don't need protection," Hermione snapped, even though somewhere she was very grateful that he had saved her.

"I said… _thank_ me," Barty hissed.

"I said… _never_."

His eyes widened, and his jaw tightened. But he exhaled deeply before talking, as if trying to calm himself down.

"I… admire you. For your… loyalty. It's just loyalty to the wrong people. And I want that to change. If not, the Dark Lord might want you dead."

"Good."

"No, not good. I don't want you dead."

"Then what _do_ you want, because if you think we can live together peacefully, you are very wrong," Hermione snapped.

"Don't be so difficult, I am trying to offer you a better life here and you can't be grateful."

"You should be saying sorry to me, not the other way round. You should beg me on your knees for forgiveness, and if you are not willing to do that, I will keep hating you," Hermione snarled bravely, even though she could see the irritation in his eyes. And Hermione had been long enough around Barty to know that that look of irritation was dangerous.

He would have killed her on the spot if she were someone else. Instead he said something that she didn't expect at all.

"I bought you something."

He _bought_ her something?

"WINKY!" Barty shouted, and the elf appeared immediately with a large box in her arms.

Without saying anything else, Barty grasped the box out of Winky's arms and he tossed it on the bed, in front of Hermione.

"Open it," he told her.

Hermione looked suspiciously at his face to judge whether she should open the package or not. But she had already provoked him enough as it was, she really shouldn't make this even worse. The encouraging look on Winky's face made her slightly more confident, so she picked up the box and she opened it. In it she found a crimson dress, made of expensive silk material. It looked pretty, she couldn't deny that. And the colour would certainly look good on her.

"I thought it would suit you well," Barty commented, clearly waiting for a form of appreciation from Hermione.

"You bought this?" Hermione asked sceptically. "You wouldn't buy something as expensive as this for someone like me. Have you killed someone again?"

"If you think you can talk to me like that just because I haven't hurt you… yet… You are wrong," Barty growled, clenching his fists to keep himself in control. "I bought this for you. With money. I haven't killed for it, if you must know. I just wanted to give you something nice, in the hope that you would become slightly less resistant."

Hermione just glared at him.

"But of course, if you refuse to thank me and if you still wish to be aggressive towards me, then of course I can do the exact same thing," he added.

He took a step forward, making Hermione shift away involuntary.

"Alright," she said. "I'll thank you and try to be less _aggressive_ , on one condition."

"You don't make the rules here, little Mudblood," Barty snarled, now losing his patience.

"You don't get to touch me, or my friends. You will not hurt me or my friends _ever_ ," Hermione said firmly, ignoring Barty completely.

A wicked smirk formed on Barty's face, and Hermione thought that she had finally gone too far this time. She shouldn't have challenged him this much. He didn't like being ordered around by anyone except for his master, and he certainly hated being ordered around by her. He was still the one in charge, Hermione had nothing to defend herself with. She wondered why she had to be so brave and stupid, Barty was offering her a slightly more peaceful life and she had to make a negotiation out of it. Which was _not_ Barty's intention.

"Alright," Barty said, surprisingly. "If you start obeying me without having to torture you first that way, then okay. But be warned… if you go against this agreement and decide to talk to me like this again or even try to attack me… You'll feel pain beyond belief. And trust me to give your _friends_ the same treatment."

Hermione was silent for a moment, he was actually promising her here not to hurt her. If she behaved, of course.

"Disloyalty will be punished," Barty growled. "Now… I believe you have something to say to me?"

"Yes… thank you for the dress," Hermione said defeated.

"And?"

"Thank you for saving me."

"Good girl… That wasn't so hard, was it? Now you can put it on for me, so we can go to have dinner," Barty said amused.

"I'm not…"

"Ah, ah, you are _putting_ it _on_ ," he ordered again.

Remembering their agreement, Hermione picked up the dress and started to change. With the hope that her next stay at Hogwarts would be slightly better after this talk with Barty. Even though she didn't really expect him to keep his part of the agreement, since he was a walking trigger. One toe out of line from her and he would snap again. Maybe, if she tried to keep her mouth shut around him, she would have a chance to survive. And she _had_ to survive, not for Barty's selfish pleasure, but for the safety of her friends.


	26. Chapter 26

**I knooooooow it's been way too long. But I haven't abandoned you! So here is a new chapter. It's not very long, but it'll have to do :)**

 **Let me know what you think, and I'll see you next chapter!**

 **X**

* * *

In the morning, Hermione woke up alone in the bed. Much to her relief. But when she opened her eyes and looked up, she saw Barty sitting on the chair at the other side of the room, reading the Prophet in his trousers, not even taken the effort to put on a shirt. He put away the newspaper when he saw her looking at him.

"Ah, good. Now get dressed so we can go downstairs," he told her.

He put on a shirt himself, while Hermione put on her own clothes, trying to hide her body from him the best she could. When they were both dressed, Hermione wanted to go downstairs without saying a word, but Barty stopped her with his arm.

"You won't try anything at Hogwarts… If you refuse to obey me in any way, I'll break my part of our agreement as well," he growled. "And yes, I intend to keep my promise, in case you were wondering. For now."

He removed his arm and opened the door for her, so that they could go downstairs. Bellatrix was waiting for them in the hall, and she greeted Barty with such a great enthusiasm that it scared Hermione. It never meant anything good when she was happy.

"Barty!" She exclaimed. "Look at what we have here!"

She pointed with her wand at a group of people standing in the hall. They looked rather scared, from what Hermione could see, because most of them were staring at the floor.

"Muggles!" Bellatrix continued. "They have just been brought to us!"

"I've told you, they are Muggle-borns, not Muggles," a girl that was in front of the group told them rather angrily.

"And she is the bravest of them all," Bellatrix grinned, looking at the young girl with amusement.

Hermione looked at Barty's direction, worried about what his reaction might be. A whole group of young Muggle-borns at his disposal, and no one to stop him. That couldn't mean anything good.

"You said _they_ are Muggle-borns," Barty said slowly, his eyes still fixed on the girl who had spoken. "Then what are you if you aren't one yourself?"

That was very perceptive of him, Hermione had not even noticed the way the girl had chosen her words. But the girl didn't answer the question.

"We'll find out who you are soon enough," Bellatrix grinned, waving her wand around in a lazy manner.

In the meantime, Barty was walking around the group of captured people. He studied the pretty girls in the group extra carefully, with a mischievous look in his eyes. When he grabbed one of the girls by her chin in order to look her in the eyes, she turned around and slapped him hard across the face in an act of self-defence. However, that was not something Barty would accept. He stumbled backwards at the force of the slap, and his chest was heaving as a sign that he was angry. He took out his wand and aimed it at the girl, whose angry face turned in a terrified one very quickly. She seemed to realize what was coming next.

"Crucio," Barty growled.

The torture continued for a pretty long time, and Hermione didn't dare to look until it was over. When the screaming finally stopped, Hermione saw that Barty was really enjoying what he was doing. It almost looked as if it turned him on. And he wasn't done humiliating the already very weakened girl yet.

"You shouldn't have done that, missy," he snarled. "No one attacks me without bearing the consequences. Certainly not a Mudblood like you. Take off your clothes."

"What?" the girl croaked.

"You heard me. Take them off."

The girl looked at the wand in the Death Eater's hand and decided that it would be better to obey him. So she did as she was asked, her whole body shaking. When she was stripped down to her underwear, she looked up at the Death Eater who was still standing in front of her, feeling his cold eyes studying her even colder body.

"You're a good little girl. Now apologize."

"I'm sorry," she mumbled too quickly and too softly.

"I said… apologize."

She bowed her head and tried again, a bit louder this time.

"Good. Now stand with your group again, Mudblood, and don't try to talk to me like that ever again."

He started walking around the group again, his stone face searching for people who dared to make eye contact. There were none, fortunately. Until he reached another pretty girl. When he put his hands under her chin, she looked up obediently. She had just seen what would happen if she didn't.

Hermione clenched her fists when she saw the lust in his eyes. His hands trailed down the girl's body, then he bend down to whisper something in her ear. Hermione couldn't quite understand what he said, he was just out of her reach. But the fear in the girl's eyes already told her enough. And she couldn't help herself any longer, the need to protect those poor Muggleborns from that monster was just too strong.

"Don't touch them," she snarled. "The fact that you've had a bad childhood doesn't mean they have to suffer because of it. Just leave them alone."

Barty turned around slowly to look at her. He had a very strange expression on his face, something between anger and disbelief.

"Pardon?"

"I said, leave them alone. Having me imprisoned is already bad enough as it is."

"I thought I had told you not to cross me anymore in _any_ way?"

Her bottom lip started to tremble. She knew that she was playing a very dangerous game here, because if she refused to keep her promise, then he would definitely break his. He would hurt her again, or other people. He walked towards her with his eyes fixed on Hermione."

"I could leave them alone, of course," he said with a grin. "But I need something in return for that."

"And that is?" she said, crossing her arms.

"You," he whispered.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Let me have my way with you and I won't have to hurt others."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I will take one or two of these ones here," he said, gesturing towards the group of prisoners.

"Why do you want me so badly?"

He leaned down to whisper the answer in her ear.

"Because you're special."

"Just leave them alone, bastard."

"Don't swear to me," he warned.

Suddenly the girl who had spoken earlier broke the silence.

"Just let us go now! This has been going on for long enough!"

That drew the Death Eater's attention away from Hermione.

"If you aren't one of them, then what exactly are you? You seem to be brave, somehow you dare to speak up around us. And not because you are naïve, you are just not afraid. Why is that?" Barty asked with genuine curiosity.

"I have been looking for you. That was my whole mission."

"Looking for who? Me?"

"Yes. You."

"Wh-what?" Barty said, he was clearly not expecting this.

"I know you guys are always trying to catch groups of Muggleborns, so this was my chance to find you. I didn't know where to look."

"You don't even know we. Not many people would want to go looking for someone like me. What are you, Half Blood?"

"Why would I tell you?" the girl snapped.

"Because… My patience is running thin. And you don't want to find out what happens when my patience has run out. I want to know who you are, and what you are," Barty demanded.

"Half Blood, since you are so eager to know. Pureblood father, Half Blood mother. My grandmother is a Muggle. Enough information?"

"What is your last name, we should know your name if your father is Pureblood."

"I don't use his name. I never knew him. I use my mother's name."

"Come on, Barty… You've had time enough, hurry up," Bellatrix whined.

"Just a second, I'm almost there!" Barty said, turning his attention back to the girl. "I want you to tell me who you are and what you want, or else I'll force it out of you."

"Like I said, I never knew my father," she answered.

"So?"

"So… I'm here to change that. That's why I wanted to see you."

"Why? You won't even tell me who he is. Do I know him?"

"You do know him. It's you. You're my father. And I'm your daughter. Elora's daughter."


	27. Chapter 27

**Helloooooo! This chapter is a bit longer :) But not necessarily better. At least, to my opinion. We will soon return to Hogwarts, for some more excitement! This feels more or less like a weird introduction to the daughter, but I've decided to post it anyway. So let me know what you think :) She will definitely return at a later point in the story...**

 **Enjoy and please leave a comment!**

 **XXX**

* * *

Barty was literally dumbfounded for a moment. There was no telling if he was happy or sad or angry, but he was definitely confused. He just stared at the girl who had just told him that she was his daughter for a very long moment, without blinking once. The rest of the room seemed to be so quiet, that it was almost painfully uncomfortable. Until Bellatrix decided to break the silence.

"Barty?" she said carefully. "She's lying. She must be."

He narrowed his eyes at that, probably considering the possibility.

"How old are you?" he questioned, his eyes boring into the girl's.

"Seventeen."

He scoffed.

"Elora would have been seventeen then when she was pregnant of you. I would have noticed that, don't you think?"

"She gave birth to be and died right after," the girl snapped. "In prison. Which was _your_ fault."

"Not mine, my father's. What is your name?"

"Skye. Skye Dawson."

Barty was silent again. He took a step closer to her, still suspicious, but he seemed to believe her. Then he reached out his hand, but he didn't touch her yet.

"That was her name… Elora's name. Dawson… Why are you here now? Why didn't I know about you?"

Skye sighed.

"Because my grandparents didn't _want_ me to know you. They have kept you a secret. They wouldn't tell me that you were my father. But I heard them talking about you when you appeared in the Prophet, so that's how I found out. As for why I am here, I was curious. Now that I am seventeen, they couldn't stop me anymore. So I went looking for you. Because you are, after all, my father."

She showed no emotion whatsoever, she was not expressing whether or not she was happy to see him or not. She had honestly just come out of curiosity.

"What House?" Barty questioned.

"Sorry?"

"What House were you in? At Hogwarts?" he added.

"I- I have never been to Hogwarts. My granddad taught me everything he knew, but I never went to a magic school. I attended a Muggle school."

Barty narrowed his eyes, clearly displeased at what he just heard.

"What?" he growled. "You never went to _Hogwarts_? Why?! How are you ever supposed to become a witch without proper education?!"

"My grandparents didn't want me to go. Afraid that I would follow the same path as you did. They were afraid Hogwarts would have a bad influence on me. And I can imagine why. What if I had been sorted into Slytherin?" Skye said.

Barty opened his mouth and then he closed it again, he was clearly at a loss of words. Then he turned around towards Bellatrix.

"Give the girl her wand," he told her.

"What?" Bellatrix scoffed. "She belongs to a group of traitors, she doesn't deserve a wand."

"Just give it," Barty growled.

Bellatrix raised her eyebrows, but she threw the wand at the girl nonetheless. Skye caught it, but she didn't raise her wand. Barty, however, did.

"I'll show you what happens when you rely on the teachings of your grandpa," he hissed. "Defend yourself."

He threw a curse at her, which she successfully blocked. Skye managed to block a second curse as well. But when Barty started to hex her more quickly, she lost control and she got hit by a curse, causing her to fall down. Her wand rolled away from her, leaving her defenseless.

"See? No proper education," Barty scoffed, looking down at her.

Skye just shot him a dirty look.

"But I can teach you… You're my _daughter,_ after all," he grinned. "However, what your dear old Muggle granny and your Halfblood grandpa did, is unforgivable. It is _betrayal_. Keeping my own daughter a secret from me and not even letting her have a full education…"

"I'm not asking you for education. I don't need it. All I wanted to do was seeing you. And I did. And I have seen enough," Skye growled, standing up again and picking up her wand.

"Oh come on, we have just met! Isn't that exciting, I've found an heiress of the Crouch family."

"Dawson. I'm not a Crouch and I never will be."

"But you are, whether you like it or not. You even look like _her_."

"Don't you dare talk about my mother. You never tried to save her. You never tried to look for me."

"I didn't know you existed! Otherwise I would have gone looking for you. _I_ would have raised you. I would have done that, for Elora. I would have made you a powerful witch," Barty snapped, a hint of emotion in his voice. "But thanks to your _grandparents_ , I never got that opportunity."

"And maybe they were right," Skye bit back.

Barty took another step in her direction, closing the gap between them.

"Where do they live?" he asked softly, his expression dangerously calm. "And don't make me repeat myself, I can always force the information out of you. I doubt your old man has taught you how to use Occlumency."

"You wouldn't dare t-"

"I would. Where do they live?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I want to pay them a visit. I want to ask them myself why they thought hiding you from me would be a good idea."

Hermione knew that Barty would get the information from the girl sooner or later. Even if he had to use force to get it. However, she didn't expect Skye to give him the information without putting up a fight. But she did.

"On two conditions," she said firmly. "I am going with you, and you will _not_ kill them."

"Of course you are coming with me, and I wasn't even planning to kill them," Barty smirked. "Can you apparate?"

"No."

"Good to know. Granger, you are coming with us too. Can't have you in the same house as Bellatrix," Barty said.

Somehow, Hermione felt relief when she heard that she was coming too. Of course she didn't want to witness any of the devious plans Barty had, but anything was better than another torture from the mad woman called Bellatrix. At least Barty had started to treat her relatively normal. She still had to be careful around him, but at least he didn't attack her anymore without having a reason. And after he had given her that dress… she had the feeling that he was starting to like her. Even when the three of them walked outside to the spot where they could apparate, she could feel his hand on her back in some sort of protective manner. It gave her chills, but she didn't feel the need to slap his hand away either. At least it was better than him threatening her.

"Wait, hang on, no torture either, right?" Skye asked suddenly. "I mean, I don't know what you Death Eaters usually do, but you don't… use Unforgivables on them, do you?"

That made Hermione realize that the girl really had no idea what her father was capable of. What he was truly like. She even doubted if Skye even knew what a Death Eater was. She probably knew that they were followers of Voldemort, and that they were evil, but maybe she didn't know what they did to innocent people. Maybe she had no idea what she had gotten her group of Muggleborns into, because they were no doubt being tortured by Bellatrix that moment. Barty asked the question for Hermione, clearly thinking the same.

"What do you think that Death Eaters do, may I ask?" he asked with a grin of amusement.

"You- want the Wizarding World to be Pureblood dominated. You kill Muggles and innocent people. You would murder anyone who is not on the side of You-Know-Who," Skye answerered.

"Ah, so you do know. Then you are remarkably calm for someone who is not on the side of You-Know-Who."

"I never said I wasn't."

"But you never said you were," Barty replied. "Are you?"

"I'm not choosing sides. I really don't know whose side I'm on. I just wanted to learn more about you. But… you wouldn't hurt your own family, right?" Skye asked uncertainly.

Barty shrugged.

"Depends on the impression they make on me."

Then he grabbed Hermione's and Skye's arm and apparated them. They appeared in the garden of a small house, a very small house really. If that was where Elora had to live with her parents, then she could understand why Elora had stolen from the Crouch family in the first place. If this was where they used to live, then they literally had no money to spend. Barty seemed to think the same, he was staring at the tiny house with disbelief. This was also the first time he saw the house, probably. But his expression turned dark again rather quickly, as soon as he had processed the old and ruined exterior of the house.

"Let me do the word," Barty growled as he strutted towards the door.

He drew his wand, but instead of just opening the door, he blew the door out of its frame. Which was not necessary at all. But apparently he wanted to make a statement or something. Then he raised his wand again, this time for a less destructive spell.

" _Homenum Revelio,"_ he muttered, and a marker appeared, indicating that there were indeed people in the house, probably hiding themselves upstairs.

Barty grinned as he invited himself inside the living room.

"COME DOWNSTAIRS YOU TWO! I KNOW YOU ARE HERE," he yelled.

Hermione could hear people walking on the first floor, the ceiling was so thin that you could hear everything through it. The two persons coming downstairs looked just as shabby as the house. The first thing they saw was of course their granddaughter Skye. Mrs. Dawson immediately took her in her arms.

"Skye! We were so worried," she said, before raising her head and looking Barty straight in the eyes. "Who are you?"

Barty's grin only widened, as his gaze went from the woman to the man who had drawn his wand. Mr. Dawson gave the impression that he already knew what was going on.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Dawson," he answered the woman who had let go of Skye and shielded her now with her body. "Or should I say, nice to meet you, mother?"

Mrs. Dawson's eyes widened, and she took a step back. While Barty only took a step closer.

"After all… I used to be together with your daughter. And apparently, you have been raising _my_ child for me," Barty growled.

"Step back or I'll hex you," Mr. Dawson said, aiming his wand at the Death Eater.

"Tsk, tsk, is that the way to welcome your own son-in-law?" Barty snorted, not following up the commands.

"You shouldn't have gone looking for him," Mrs. Dawson whispered to Skye.

"I'm warning you! Stand back!" Mr. Dawson said loudly.

Barty only took a step closer.

"You try to hex me and I promise you… things will get nasty."

Mr. Dawson started to shake nervously, but he didn't quite put his wand away. He still had it stand-by, ready to use, just in case. Barty walked around the living room, observing the old interior that was even in a worse state than the outside of the house. He gave the old couple a look of disapproval.

"You know… You could have told me about _her_. I could have raised her. She would have been _rich_ , you could've been rich as well… All you had to do was ask. She would have gone to Hogwarts, she would have gotten proper education. She would have carried the name of a Pureblood family. But you decided that it was better to hide her from me, to keep her a secret. And I want you to tell me why. Give me a good reason and I'll try to keep calm," Barty said, sitting down on a fauteuil. "Well? I'm listening."

"There is no way we would let a Death Eater enter our family," Mr. Dawson said. "You would be a disgrace to our family name. You are responsible for her death."

Barty just raised his eyebrows.

"How would a Pureblood wizard be a disgrace to any family? I think you should shut your insolent mouth right now before I decide to hurt you. Maybe my Muggle mother-in-law would like to try explain this situation to me?"

"Darling, don't. He's one of You-Know-Who's followers," Mr. Dawson tried to stop his wife from talking.

"I'm not killing everything that I lay eyes on. You're my _family_ , right?" Barty sneered. "You don't have to fear me… although I am feeling a bit- unwelcome here."

"You're not welcome here. Just leave us alone. We don't want anything to do with you."

Barty stood up quickly and before anyone could even process what was happening, he had Mr. Dawson against the wall with his wand pressed against his throat.

"A bit too late for that, isn't it? You shouldn't have hid my daughter from me. Because to be frank, I am really furious with you right now. And not many people survive it when I am furious with them," Barty hissed, pressing his wand even harder against the poor man's throat. "So you might want to stop provoking me, unless you _want_ me to cruciate you. I'm not the one being impolite here."

Having said that, Barty let the man go, much to Hermione's surprise. She wouldn't have thought him to be so merciful all of a sudden.

"Tell me Mrs. Dawson, _why_ didn't you tell me about her existence?" Barty pressed.

"I- We- we thought you had died in Azkaban."

"Bollocks. You could've gone looking for me before I went to Azkaban. So why didn't you?"

"Because you had joined the Death Eaters. We heard you were connected to that group that fought for You-Know-Who. So we decided not to contact you. It was for the best. You would've raised our granddaughter into a Death Eater," Mrs. Dawson answered. "And that is not what Elora would have wanted," she added quietly.

"Oh, is that so?" Barty sneered. "We will never find out what _she_ would have wanted. Fact is that you took something from me that is mine. Namely my daughter. I had the right to raise her."

"No, you didn't. We are her guardians," Mrs. Dawson interrupted him.

"And I would have made her into a powerful witch. Hogwarts education combined with my knowledge of the Dark Arts."

"And you would have made a Death Eater of her."

"That would be her own decision, wouldn't it?"

"You wouldn't take no for an answer."

"The point is, I am feeling really insulted by this. You decided to ignore me, her real father, even though I could have taken care of her."

"Not while you were in Azkaban," Mrs. Dawson snapped.

"I don't like your tone, Muggles shouldn't talk to Purebloods like that," Barty growled, drawing his wand again.

"Stop it! That's enough!" Mr. Dawson shouted, aiming his wand at Barty again. "She can't defend herself, please…"

"I was trying to be reasonable…" Barty hissed, now aiming his wand at Mr. Dawson, advancing on him like a predator on his prey. "But you don't seem to understand… You have made me angry, you have made very clear that you don't want to be my family, so what is stopping me?"

That remark clearly made Mr. and Mrs. Dawson nervous.

"You wouldn't, we are Elora's parents!" Mrs. Dawson tried.

"And do you know that is the only thing keeping you alive right now?" Barty said venomously, his arm shaking with barely controlled anger.

"Then what do you want from us?" Mr. Dawson asked, color draining from his face.

"To be honest… I would like to skin you alive for not telling me about my daughter. But I'll let that pass, together with your insolence, the fact that my mother in law is a Muggle, and the fact that you have been threatening me," Barty replied calmly. "Just because you are her parents. But that's okay, there are other ways to punish you…"

A long moment of silence followed, a threatening silence. There was only the sound of Barty's shoes, pacing up and down the room. His eyes studies the interior in the meantime, and he let his hand roam across the fabric of the couch. That alone was already scary enough, but combined with the look he was giving the older couple… He was the one with the wand, making him capable of anything at that moment. He was a man of his word, he wouldn't kill them. But he would certainly hurt them in another way, probably for his own benefit.

"See, my house is being watched. Aurors, defensive spells, the ultimate protection against disguises such as Polyjuice Potions and other means of camouflage. They would definitely notice when I would enter the house, or when I would let someone enter under the Imperius Curse. So… that is where you come in."

He now circled around them, talking very slowly as if speaking to children.

" _You_ are going to enter my house, the three of you, and you are going to pretend to live there as a Muggle family. They'll eventually lift the protective charms and they'll remove themselves from my property as soon as they think I am not there anymore," Barty explained.

Another moment of silence fell.

"And of course I take your wand, Mr. Dawson. Because you are supposed to be a Muggle for the time being," Barty added, clearly waiting for a reaction.

"And you think you can force us to do this? To give up our home? To give up our freedom?" Mr. Dawson snapped.

"I do, actually. See, that is part of your punishment. I am leaving you no choice," Barty grinned, something that could only mean something really bad was going to happen.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Mrs. Dawson asked.

"I need to make absolutely sure that you will stay there, with my house-elf to keep an eye on you to make sure you don't touch anything I wouldn't like. In the meantime, I have to pay Hogwarts another visit, together with Miss Granger here. But I'll check on you, now and then, so be warned… And Skye…" Barty started, "from now on, I'll be teaching you magic. You'll get proper education. Like you should. Don't think I'll let you continue carrying the name of Dawson, you'll be a Crouch soon enough. You'll be like me…"

Skye just stared at him, startled. There was no telling if she genuinely had no idea what was going on or if she was excited at the idea of finally meeting her father. Because Hermione could spy a hint of awe and excitement in her eyes that was not really a good sign.

"You won't get us away here so easily," Mr. Dawson growled.

"Oh, of course I will. I suggest you hold each other now-," Barty advised.

Hermione knew that was the sign that he was planning on apparating the five of them, so she grabbed his arm and that of Skye.

"-Because soon there will be no home to return to," he finished his sentence with a wicked smile.

There was a shocked look on the Dawson's faces when Barty aimed his wand at the ceiling. The next moment, the whole house started to shake violently and the ceiling threatened to fall down. Just in time, they all apparated, returning to the streets near Crouch Manor. A heartbroken and sobbing Mrs. Dawson stood next to the group with a splinched husband in her arms. The man didn't move anymore, there was only blood on his body.


	28. Chapter 28

**Hi there! I am so sorry that it took me so long to update (again). But I have not abandoned you. To those of you who are still reading my story: thank you so much! I hope you still love the fic and that it is not becoming boring or annoying :)**

 **Enjoy this new chapter!**

 **xxx**

* * *

Hermione had not expected Barty to really care about the wounds of Mr. Dawson. Of course, it was his fault, since he had attempted to side-apparate four people. But still, he was actually crouching down besides the bleeding man, something quite remarkable and unexpected from a Death Eater. He could have let the man die right there. Barty had said before that he was keeping the couple alive because they were Elora's parents. And that was the only reason Hermione could think of why he was trying to heal the wounds with some incantations. A potion would have been far more effective against the wounds that were pretty deep, this was definitely going to leave some scars. But at least it would stop the bleeding.

It was when Mr. Dawson's cries had stopped together with the bleeding, that the group noticed they were not alone in the narrow alleyway. It was broad daylight, and the cries must have drawn some attention, even though Barty had tried to set up defenses as quickly as possible. There was a short but quite muscular man standing there only three steps away. But he wasn't looking very surprised or shocked, what Hermione had expected from a Muggle who would see a bleeding man and another man performing magic with a wand. The Muggle was actually looking _angry_. He didn't seem to be afraid in the slightest. Something that would change very quickly, Hermione could see it in Barty's narrowed eyes. Barty stood up slowly, taking a step forward to make clear that he was the leader of the group.

"We have an important meeting here," the Muggle hissed, nodding at the building. "I must ask you to leave right now, you are making too much noise."

Barty just stared the man straight in the eyes, without blinking once. His wand was still in his right hand, but the Muggle didn't seem to notice. He had no idea what was going on. And Hermione had the nasty feeling that the man would find out soon enough.

"Well... as you can see, the old man here is not feeling too well. We shall leave this place as soon as I have completed my own important meeting here, so I suggest you walk away without making a fuss. If you don't... believe me, you don't want to find out what will happen next," Barty growled.

"You're the one making a fuss here, sir. I'm warning you, I'll call the police if you don't leave right now," the Muggle shot back.

But Barty was unfazed by the threats the Muggle was making. In fact, he looked annoyed and rather impatient. His fist was clenching around his wand, and he was clearly holding himself back, not wanting to draw any attention to himself. At least not there in broad daylight. He had a plan in mind, and the man in front of him was just standing in his way.

"Who the hell do you think you are, thinking that you can talk to me like that?"

"Richard Thorpe. I am part of the city council, and we are discussing the larger estates here in the neighbourhood and we will decide what to do with them. This needs concentration and we certainly have no need for noisy people who think they can do whatever the hell they want," the shorter man said, taking a step forward as if he wanted to challenge Barty. But Barty stood his ground, his expression had merely changed into something more curious, he had heard something that interested him.

"Estates, eh? Such as...?" Barty asked with genuine interest.

The man scoffed as he looked Barty up and down carefully, taking in his whole appearance.

"Why would you care? It's not as if it is any of your business. Who are you anyway, I have never seen you before here and I know a lot of people."

"Because I like a good investment. I've got money. You show me those estates of yours and I might buy them from you. That's what you are looking for, isn't it? Besides, the old man here can use some rest inside instead of sitting here in the cold," Barty said.

"I- I am not sure if the estates are up for selling. I'm not the one who decides that…" Richard said, studying the group of people in front of him. When Barty kept staring at him, he nodded. "Fine then, follow me, I'll take you to someone who knows."

Barty's grin widened as they followed the man inside. They walked around the building to enter through the large wooden doors that led them to the main hall. There were only four other people in the hall, all sitting around a table. Papers were stalled out on the table, and the four people were busy studying them. It was very clear who was in charge there, since there was an older woman around her fifties at the head of the table.

"Who are these people?" the woman asked Richard when she saw the group entering, looking up from her work.

Richard shrugged. "Those who were making noise. The man says he has money for our estates."

" _Your_ estates?" Barty scoffed, looking at the papers on the table. " _This_ one here is obviously not yours."

He took one of the papers from the table, pointing at the picture enclosed. Hermione could just see enough to see that it was Barty's own house he was talking about. They were discussing what to do with Crouch Manor.

"It's empty for a long time now," the chairwoman spoke. "So that makes it ours."

"No, it isn't," Barty glared. "I'll tell you why. It's mine. It has been in my family for centuries. It is not yours to sell."

"Oh really?" the woman scoffed, standing up. "So, do you have the papers?"

"I don't need the papers, I've just told you that the house is mine. That is reason enough to stop arguing I believe," Barty said, as if challenging the woman to contradict him. "However, there are people watching my manor, and I want it back. So that is where you come in. I want you guys to play a part in my little play as well."

The woman just stared at him. "You are lying. What are you talking about? You are crazy!"

Barty gave her a sly smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I am telling you that I need to put up a convincing act to get some people away from my house. And I need you for that, because I can't do it myself," he said as if talking to a child. "The group here behind me is going to pretend that they have bought the house. They are going to live in my manor for a short period, leading the people watching the manor to believe that I have left and that there are Muggles living there now."

"What? What are you talking about?"

But Barty ignored the woman's question. "They are going to live there, but they also need an estate agent of course. You. I want some of you to pretend to be the estate agents, and I need the others to pretend that they are going to visit the new Muggle family."

"That's it, I'm calling the police," the woman sighed, picking up the phone.

Barty came eerily closed to the woman's face while he forced her hand down again with his own.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he growled.

"Get him away from me!" the chairwoman cried at Richard and the other three men that were still sitting around the table.

When the men stood up to grab Barty, he drew his wand in a quick motion.

"Stay back!" he shouted at the men who sat down again, looking at the wand confused. Barty then pushed the woman back in her chair, circling around her so that he was behind her, pressing the wand against her throat, and then he leaned in to speak in her ear. "I suppose I could do with one less actress… I could kill you right here, right now..."

The woman swallowed visibly, and the men around her seemed to be unsure what to do now. But Barty didn't do anything, as Hermione expected him to do. Normally he would already have killed the Muggle, but he didn't. He wasn't even torturing anyone yet.

"Skye," Barty said, looking up so that his eyes met his daughter's. "Come here."

All the time the girl had been standing there with a neutral expression, but now she approached her father with a mix of excitement, fear, and awe. Hermione felt that the girl was looking up to Barty, she even started to believe that Skye had an unhealthy interest in the Dark Arts. She seemed to be drawn to it at least.

"I'll give you your wand," Barty said, giving Skye her own wand. "And you'll use it against this woman. I'll tell you what to do. It is about time you learn how to cast a spell properly."

Skye took her wand from him, and she aimed it at the woman who was now looking both confused and scared.

"Stun her," Barty ordered. "You know the spell, don't you?"

Skye nodded. There was a flash of doubt in her eyes at first, but when she saw her father's determined eyes, she seemed to become more confident. So she raised her wand.

" _Stupefy_!" Skye said loudly.

The stunning spell wasn't that powerful, but the woman was definitely blown from her chair.

"Not bad, not bad at all," Barty smiled. "Now try to tickle her."

Skye looked at him with a questioning look. "How?"

"Aim your wand and say _Rictusempra_."

" _Rictusempra!_ " Skye shouted, without any form of doubt now.

Hermione was shocked that the girl just did as she was told without question. She even seemed to be enjoying it. She didn't seem to be bothered about the fact that she was hurting a human being. But Barty seemed to be very amused. He was clearly enjoying this, and he was definitely planning on taking it to the next level.

"Now cruciate her," Barty smirked.

That actually made Skye hesitate, but Barty started to encourage her.

"Go on, make me proud. You'll get the manor. You will become powerful. You will be welcomed by the Dark Lord and by me. As my daughter, you will become a powerful witch with money and status and land. You are not letting this filthy Muggle who dared to challenge me stand in your way, are you? She is crossing us, make her regret that."

Skye nodded with determination. She raised her wand before she spoke the Unforgivable Curse.

" _Crucio,_ " she said not so loudly this time, as if she didn't really dare to speak out the curse.

It was a pathetic try. The chairwoman had barely moved, she was only still trembling with fear. Skye's grandparents were watching the scene with shock and horror, but they knew better than to interfere. Barty was a powerful wizard, and he wouldn't hesitate to demonstrate his knowledge of the Dark Arts to them.

"You have to mean it," Barty told Skye. "You need to make her feel how angry you are. She tried to claim our manor. She needs to be punished for that."

Skye tried the curse again, but still nothing happened.

"Is that even your own wand?" Barty questioned, looking at the wand Skye was holding. "Because it doesn't seem to be obeying you very well."

Skye shook her head.

"It grandpa's old wand. We don't have money for a new one…"

Barty glared at the old couple in the corner of the room.

"We'll fix that for you as soon as this is over. I'll by you the perfect wand. Well… you seem to be needing more practice on this. Do you think you can kill?"

Barty asked the question as if it was perfectly normal to kill someone in cold blood. Of course it was for him, it was almost his daily business. But Skye shook her head, causing her grandparents to sigh in relief. At least she wouldn't kill. At least she wouldn't kill someone _yet_.

"Then let me do it for you," Barty growled, raising his own wand again. " _Avada Kedavra_."

A bright green light filled the room, and the chairwoman stopped trembling immediately. Barty turned around to face the four men at the table.

"Anyone else who wants to make me angry?"

It was silent, luckily.

"Good. Then keep your mouth shut before I change my mind and decide to kill you."

He put both hands on the shoulders of his daughter, and looked her in the eyes.

"I can't let you keep your wand for now. You need to pretend to be a Muggle. I trust you to help me and not to do anything I won't like. Winky will keep an eye on you in case you try anything. If I found out that you are not obeying me, then I won't be so kind to you anymore, understood? This is your ultimate test, and I sincerely hope you will not screw this. You need to make this plan work, no matter what your grandparents say. If they bring you trouble, Winky will tell me and I will come and help you. We can be together after this, I'll teach you proper magic, and you will never have to be poor again. The manor is yours for now. I have to return to Hogwarts for now, but I'll be back to spend Christmas in my own house. I suspect that the Order will be gone by then. You need to make this work, do you understand me?" Barty told her. His words could have been interpreted as both a threat and a loving encouragement, which made the instructions quite confusing.

"I will, don't you worry," Skye told him.

Hermione looked at the girl's face with suspicion. She was either acting this, trying to win Barty's trust in order to stab him in the back later, or she was really just as twisted as he was. Hermione hoped that it was the first, but it really seemed to be the second. She couldn't care less at the moment. All she could think of was how she was going to survive those days alone with Barty at Hogwarts again. Because she wouldn't see anybody else until Christmas.


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey there :) I know, it has been quite some time again, but here is another chapter! I want to ask you guys your opinion: would you like to see a bad ending (in which the Dark Lord wins) or a happy ending (in which the Order wins)? I have already made up my mind, but I am very curious to what you guys prefer :)**

 **Leave me a comment and enjoy the chapter! X**

* * *

The first two weeks went by really quickly. Barty had kept his hands to himself for so far, and he didn't bother Hermione that much. She was locked up in the room with all the possible defensive spells on it for the entire time, because Barty didn't want to risk her being exposed again. Apparently Snape had taken care of McGonagall and wiped her memories of the latest events, which meant that the Death Eater was safe from the Order's suspicions. Also, there was no indication so far that Barty was hurting, torturing, or killing any students. Or maybe he just didn't ever bring it up because he wanted to keep the peace between him and her. And Hermione was grateful for that, she didn't want to know what Barty was up to. She just had to wait for her perfect moment to neutralize the Death Eater, so that he wouldn't get his hands on either Ron or Harry. There were even times when she dared to start a conversation with the lunatic, when he seemed to be in a good mood. The Monday in the week before Christmas was one of those days.

"You look rather happy," Hermione said somewhat bitterly, when she saw Barty entering the room.

He smirked at her in a way that didn't quite comfort her.

"I am happy, my sweet Hermione, do you want to know why?"

Something told her that she didn't actually want to know why he was happy. But she didn't want to be rude either, that would only result in a fight, and she was doing a very great job at holding herself back so far. She didn't want to ruin that just now.

"Because… you have heard something from Skye?" she guessed, just to give him the feeling that she did actually care.

"No. It is so much better than that. Try again."

Her stomach turned. If he was really _that_ happy about something, then it wouldn't be anything good.

"You- you found… you found Harry?" she stammered.

"If only that were true," he sighed. "No, wrong. Good guess, though. But no, it has something to do with Hogwarts."

"H-hogwarts?" Hermione stuttered, feeling slightly relieved that Harry hadn't shown up yet.

"Yes. Well, not all of it is good news. Because there is a traitor involved, excuse me, _was_. The Dark Lord has taken care of that traitor already. It was someone at Hogwarts. Do you want to guess who it was?" Barty asked, now leaning closer to Hermione, sitting down next to her on the couch.

"Probably one of your so-called Death Eater friends," Hermione said, trying desperately not to sound rude. But she had the idea that she was feeling in that. Because Barty raised one eyebrow at her, which meant that he had indeed heard the snappy undertone in her voice. But luckily he decided to ignore it.

"Snape. It was Snape. _Apparently_ he had been teaming up with the Order all the time. He has been spying for them," Barty said, looking at Hermione's genuinely surprised face. "And spies are not tolerated. He has paid the price for his treason."

"Is he- dead?" Hermione asked, shocked at what she had just heard. She had never liked Snape, but hearing that he was on their side actually brought her mixed feelings. She felt surprise, guilt, and sadness at the same time. If Snape really had been on their side, then they had lost a good man in the Order. Not only the Order, but also Hogwarts.

"He is," Barty nodded. "And now for the best part… Hogwarts doesn't have a Headmaster anymore."

Hermione wasn't stupid. She knew where he was going, and why he was so happy. Fear rushed through her entire body, but she tried to wait calmly for what Barty was going to say next.

"So the Dark Lord has appointed me as Headmaster of Hogwarts," Barty said, confirming Hermione's expectations.

She was quiet for a very long moment. She didn't really have anything nice to say, so she could better just keep her mouth shut. But apparently her silence didn't please Barty either.

"Well? Aren't you going to say something?" he pressed.

Hermione shook her head in reply, knowing very well that she was both looking angry and scared at the same time. He had just gained even more power over the students, a kind of power that really shouldn't be in the hands of a wizard like Barty Crouch Jr. And since the Ministry was also already in the hands of the Death Eaters, there was no one he really had to answer to.

"Why not, if I may ask?" Barty asked again. His happy mood vanished immediately and was replaced by a darker look now.

"Promise me you will treat everyone fair and equal, and please don't torture or hurt _any_ of the students," Hermione said softly, fighting back her tears.

"Is that what you are afraid of?" Barty scoffed. "As if I could not have done that already if I wanted to. I still have to follow my Master's wishes, you know. No torture in the lessons. _Outside_ of the lessons, however… Snape was pretty soft on rules, don't you think? That might change now…"

"NO!" Hermione shouted, quickly recovering herself. "Sorry, I mean, no, please… You can't do that. Those students, they don't deserve that."

"How do you know? They need to show respect, they should _learn_ who is the boss around here. Because there was obviously a lack of respect during the time Snape was Headmaster here."

" _Don't_ hurt them! You can't just torture them just because you want to. Please. I am prepared to beg you for it if that is what it takes. Remember our agreement?"

"Yes. Our agreement. I wouldn't hurt you and your friends, remember? We didn't say _anything_ about students," Barty hissed, coming even closer to her face. " _But_ … I am sure we can arrange something together, since you are so eager to protect those children out there."

"Such as?" Hermione's face hardened, and she stared straight back into his eyes in defiance.

"Hmm… I am sure you can think of something."

"I am not going to have sex with you if that is what you are implying," Hermione snapped.

"Ah, ah," he tutted. "I thought you were going to be nice and obedient. But fair enough, we have agreed that I wouldn't touch you for as long as you would be obedient, and you have been behaving very well. So I will keep my word and I won't touch you."

Hermione couldn't help exhaling when she heard that. But there was still a dangerous tone in his voice and an evil glint in his eyes that didn't really reassure her. But surprisingly, he didn't elaborate on the subject any further. Instead, he stood up and left the room and went to his study.

After eating her dinner that had been brought by a house-elf, Hermione had almost forgotten about her conversation with Barty earlier. But he made sure to remind her of it.

"We get a visitor, my dear," he announced.

"Don't call me that," Hermione started. "Who is visiting us?"

"I'll call you whatever I like to call you," Barty growled angrily. "And the visitor is mainly for me. A sixth year Hufflepuff girl who has detention."

"What has that got to do with me?"

"Nothing, but you'll need to move to the study. I'll be needing the bedroom."

"What?" Hermione said slowly, then realizing what he was talking about. "WHAT?!"

"You heard me," Barty said calmly.

"No, no, no, no, NO! That is not what we agreed!"

"Oh, really? I don't think we have ever discussed what I can and cannot do to students. Only you and your friends. Besides, as Headmaster I am perfectly entitled to give punishments."

"Punishments, yes! But not rape! I am not going to sit in that study there knowing that you are raping an innocent _underage_ girl!" Hermione shouted enraged.

"Not innocent. That is why she got detention," Barty continued eerily calm. "You don't need to sit in the study of course, you are welcome to watch," he added with a smirk. "Her memories will be erased anyways."

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! YOU SICK, EVIL LUNATIC! I WILL MURDER YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS AS SOON AS I GET THE CHANCE!" Hermione yelled. "AND I HOPE YOU WILL ROT IN HELL!"

"So much for our agreement then," Barty growled. His face had lost all color and his eyes were almost spitting fire. His tongue was flicking out of his mouth nervously as he fisted her hair and forced her to stand up. "So I guess I won't have to be gentle with you either."

He started to drag her towards the study, ignoring her screams and he kicks. Then he suddenly stopped.

"No… I've got a better idea," Barty smirked. "I'll let you watch us. Maybe that will teach you not to reject me. Because really, I only want you. But since _you_ didn't cooperate, I had to do this."

He threw her on the couch and mumbled some incantations so that Hermione wouldn't go anywhere. She also found that she couldn't speak anymore. She couldn't move and she couldn't speak. And she couldn't keep her eyes closed either. Her heart sank when she heard a knock on the door. Only a few seconds later, the Hufflepuff girl entered the room, followed by Barty who closed the door behind them. She was rather beautiful. She had blonde hair with piercing icy blue eyes. But she also looked so young. She was probably sixteen, but she was still far too young. But she clearly seemed to turn Barty on. She looked at Hermione's direction, but Hermione had the feeling that she was not really seeing her. So she was also invisible, or camouflaged at least.

"You have been a really naughty girl, haven't you, Keira?" Barty asked the girl whose name was apparently Keira.

"Y-yes, sir," the fear was obviously killing the girl. She was trembling all over. She wasn't stupid, she probably knew what was going to happen. Death Eaters were not exactly known for their morals.

"You are lucky that you are a beautiful young girl, therefore you will not receive a torture. If you behave, of course," Barty continued.

"Thank you, s-sir," Keira replied politely, exactly knowing what she was expected to answer.

"You are not in class anymore. I think you should get rid of that uniform of yours," Barty said hoarsely.

Keira did exactly what was asked from her. Hermione knew that this would probably never work that easily with her, if she were in that position, but Keira was not her of course. Keira probably knew that things would only get worse if she would disobey Barty now. Which was true, of course. He would only become more violent, and maybe even murderous. When the girl was only clad in her underwear, Barty sat down next to her.

"I'd love a little show," he grinned, his hand trailing down her arm.

Keira stood up and she started to grind against Barty's lap. His eyes were now burning with lust, and his hands started to feel up her breasts. His desire was now very obvious in his pants, and he was clearly done playing around, since he pushed Keira off him and started to undo his trousers and shirt. Then he ripped of the girl's bra and knickers, and he threw her on the bed. Still clad in his boxers, he started to kiss the girls neck, lips, and breasts before going down to business. He was obviously enjoying himself, since he was moaning all the time and talking dirty to the girl. His hands were everywhere; in her hair, on her legs, on her breasts…

"P-please, s-sir," Keira stammered, speaking up for the first time now in minutes.

"What," Barty growled slightly annoyed.

"I-I have n-never…"

Barty looked up at her, stopping with everything he was doing.

"Ah, so I got myself a virgin as well?" he smirked. "I won't hurt you, sweet thing. Really, you should be thanking me on your knees for not torturing you." After a longer silence, he even added something darker. "In fact… you _are_ going to thank me on your knees. Later."

Something told Hermione that the only reason Barty was doing this was just to punish her again. She should not have yelled at him, he had been testing her patience. She should have just offered herself to him when he asked, now she had put this girl in danger. Although she had the feeling that it didn't really matter what she said or did. He was a criminal. There was no way he was going to listen to her, he would only do what he saw fit. Right now, he was mainly showing her what he could do, how much power he had over the students, over _her_. He just knew that after she had seen this, she would do anything he wanted. She had never really any power over him, and he wanted to show her that. In the most brutal way. It was only when Barty had obliviated the girl and sent her away, that he would release all the incantations he had used on her. But even when she could finally move again, she remained completely still. The once again fully clothed Barty look down on her with a smirk, obviously daring her to say anything. So she gave the arrogant bastard the satisfaction.

"You are a completely deranged maniac. You were just pissed off with me because I didn't want to be anywhere near you. Well, I only hate you even more now, if that were possible," she snapped, knowing that this was only going to piss him off even more.

"Next time you shout at me, or even _threaten_ me, think of the consequences. Because you obviously thought I wouldn't carry out my promises," he growled. "Speaking about those threats you were throwing at me… did you actually mean them?"

"Yes."

"I'll make sure to remember that then, sweetheart. You broke our agreement, so there won't be any kindness from my side anymore. I tried to make an effort, you know? But you didn't appreciate any of it. So I guess it is best for you to live with me in fear again, don't you agree?"

"Is that what you want? You want me to fear you?" Hermione asked.

"I've tried hard enough to be nice. So yes. I'll go for the fear again. And sadly Potter is for the Dark Lord, but when I get my hands on the Weasley boy, I'll make sure to torture him to death in front of your eyes," Barty hissed. "Let's see how you like someone you love being murdered."

There was pure hatred in his eyes, and Hermione half expected him to cruciate her again. But surprisingly, he didn't. Instead, he left the bedroom and slammed the door hard. If she didn't know any better, she would think that he was being jealous and frustrated because she refused to show him any form of affection. But when had he shown her affection? He was being unreasonable, but she had to be careful around him. Especially now that he was Headmaster of Hogwarts. The only thing she could do was praying that he wouldn't actually get his hands on Ron, because definitely carried out his promises.


	30. Chapter 30

Things had only become worse after their argument. He was being in a dangerous mood almost the entire time. Hermione was already happy when he would just say nothing and leave her alone. But unfortunately he was almost permanently in a murderous mood, which made being around him very dangerous. Hermione had to watch her mouth carefully, because he would snap as soon as he heard something that didn't please him. The worst thing was that Hermione just _knew_ that Barty was just as aggressive in his classes towards students. Luckily he wouldn't have to teach any classes after the Christmas break, now that he was appointed Headmaster he was going to be replaced by someone else. If Hermione knew how to help all those children who were suffering under the rage of Barty right now, then she would do it immediately. The only problem was that she couldn't reason with the Death Eater. She didn't even know exactly where his sudden anger had come from. Before their agreement was broken, they were going along just fine. Barty had even seemed to be kind towards in his own twisted way. The only thing Hermione could think of, was that Barty was frustrated because she didn't do what he had expected. He had made it obvious that he wanted her. But she had made clear that she wasn't going to accept him. And now the man was both angry with her and himself, at least, that was what it looked like. Hermione could never hope to understand his mind. He was a powerful and extremely intelligent wizard, but his emotions seemed to be working so differently from a normal person.

"We are going back to my house," Barty announced at the first day of the Christmas holiday. "Winky has informed me that the area seems to be safe."

Hermione was secretly very happy that she could leave Hogwarts. That meant that Harry couldn't see her on the map anymore, so he wouldn't go looking for her either. But she was smart enough not to tell Barty that. Also, she was very curious to what Skye was up to. There was no telling if she was supporting her father or if she was playing a very clever game. Her grandparents didn't seem to support the Dark Lord at all, so maybe the young girl was not going to follow her father.

"We shall be back her soon. Don't think Potter and Weasley are safe now that we are leaving," Barty snarled, obviously noticing the slightly relieved look on Hermione's face.

"No- that's not- I am just glad I can leave this room. Finally," Hermione retorted.

"Ungrateful little girl… You should be thanking me for not torturing you into insanity," Barty growled, before handing her over a small bottle. "Here. Drink this. Quickly, I don't feel very patient today."

"When do you ever," Hermione mumbled so that he couldn't quite hear her. Luckily. She drank the contents of the bottle without complaining, and she could feel her body transforming into someone else. Then she felt Barty grabbing her arm and apparating them back to his own house.

It was broad daylight, so if there would be any members of the Order, then they would definitely attack them. She could feel how tense and alert Barty was right now, he was ready for any possible attack. Hermione could also see that he was suspicious towards every Muggle that was walking through the streets, and any wrong move from them would result in a murder from the Death Eater. Luckily, they succeeded in reaching the front door without any problems. Barty took out his wand and opened the door, and they both stepped inside quickly. After a few moments of silence, another person barged into the hall, armed with a knife. In a reflex, Barty immediately disarmed the person and stunned them, making them fly against the wall. It was only then that Hermione could see that it was Mr. Dawson who had just been blown against the wall.

"Dear father, it's not smart to sneak up on someone like that… _Especially_ not when they could have killed you. You're lucky that I only used a stunning spell," Barty said, not making the slightest effort to help the man up.

Hermione followed Barty into the living room, when she saw that Mr. Dawson was already able to stand up himself. In the living room, Mrs. Dawson and Skye were standing in front of the fireplace. They looked tense at first, but when they saw who it was, they relaxed slightly. The face of Mrs. Dawson contorted in one of displeasure, however.

"Oh, it's you," she said, looking at her son-in-law.

"Merry Christmas to you, too," Barty returned. "Haven't you ever learned about manners? Remember who you are talking to, this is still _my_ house."

"Yes, because you have destroyed ours, you bastard," she growled back.

"Don't, darling, it's not worth it," Mr. Dawson said from the door opening, but the damage was already done.

"Say you're sorry," Barty said calmly.

It was obvious that the woman didn't want to, but after a long silence, she decided that it was better to just do what he asked.

"Sorry."

"Good. Now, I will not tolerate rudeness. So I strongly recommend that you stay polite towards me. I am not in the mood for any form of disobedience, so the next time you cross me, I _will_ make you pay for it. Understood?" Barty said, not even waiting for her reply. Instead, he turned towards Skye. "So, how have things been for you?"

His voice was a lot softer all of a sudden, it was clear who his favorite person was in the room.

"Good, I suppose," Skye shrugged. "Winky has been helping me out a lot. Without her I wouldn't have managed this, so she deserves some credit as well. But the Order is gone. I think they fell for your play."

"Well done," Barty smiled. "I'm glad to hear that I can trust you, I really am. Tell me, do you want to be on my side? Do you want to support me?"

"I- I haven't thought about that yet, I'm sorry. But… you are my father. So yes, I do want to be on _your_ side. But- my grandparents…" Skye said, clearly confused about it herself.

"Your grandparents have made it clear that they don't like me. That they don't support my side. I don't care about them, I care about you. If you promise me that you are loyal to me, and that you are not trying to stab me in the back, then I can train you to become a powerful which," Barty said, and when Skye opened her mouth, he held up his hand to silence her. "I'm not stupid. Those two have been trying to convince you not to join me. But you need to see… if you join me you will have a future. You can be my heiress. You can get any job you want. Whereas they can offer you nothing but poverty."

"I don't want you to kill them," Skye said softly.

Barty raised his eyebrows.

"I'm not going to. For your sake and your mother's, they get to live. So, what is it going to be?"

"I want to join you," she replied determined.

"Good," Barty smiled, clearly satisfied with the answer. "First things first. You'll need a better wand. One that is made for you. Ollivander is back, so I'll take you there."

Then he turned towards the others, and to Hermione in particular.

"This means that I will leave you behind for a moment. I don't suppose I'll have to warn you for what will happen if you try to escape. WINKY!"

Winky appeared immediately.

"Yes, Master Barty?" she said with a bow.

"You are going to stay with these three people while I take Skye out to get a wand. They are under no circumstances allowed to leave this room, and you will make sure not to lose them out of sight. Clear?"

"Yes, Master," Winky said with another deep bow.

"Good. I'll be back soon," Barty said, before walking outside with Skye following him.

Hermione could hear the sound of his apparition, and she knew that he was gone. That allowed her to talk to Elora's parents for a while without Barty around. Still, Winky was able to hear everything, so she had to be careful.

"Is it true? Have you lost Skye?" Hermione asked the two grandparents.

Mrs. Dawson just sighed and looked at her husband, who answered the question.

"I'm afraid so. She has been determined to find her father, and now that she has she has been acting strange. I feel like we have failed her. We couldn't give her what she wanted. And now that has resulted in her turning towards the dark side, just like her father. I think she sees him as an example now, he has money and power, he can teach her all the stuff we never wanted to teach her. Maybe Crouch was right, maybe we should have let her attend at Hogwarts."

"No, I'm sure none of this was your fault. She just needed her father. And now that she has found him, she looks up to him, she wants to take him as an example. But that has got nothing to do with you. You did what you thought was best," Hermione tried to reassure the Dawsons. "If anyone has failed, then it's me."

"You? Why you? You are just as much as a victim as we are," Mrs. Dawson said.

"No, really. He wanted me to be nicer to him, he was even nice to me at some moments. But all I could do was make him angry again. I should have played along, because now I have caused him to be in a bad mood all the time."

"He is a Death Eater, he can't be changed, if that is what you hope, sweetheart," Mrs. Dawson said. "You are not to blame for anything. You are in more danger than any of us. We know what his plan is, we know that he is only using you as bait. After he has captured Potter, he will probably kill you. We should get you out of here."

"And then?" Hermione scoffed. "Then he will kill you as well for helping me. Besides, I don't really think he wants to kill me. He has said so himself. He likes being around me because I give him something to do, I challenge him. And he wants me. I just know that."

"Don't be fooled, he is not a good man. You should run as soon as you have the chance. He is not here now, you need to run."

"Winky is here. She is not going to let me leave," Hermione protested, although she did appreciate that the Dawsons were supporting her.

"Winky?" Mrs. Dawson asked carefully. "I know that you have been given orders by your master, and I know that we ask a lot from you right now… But, Hermione is in grave danger if she stays here. Your master will kill her eventually. You don't want the Dark Lord to capture Potter, right? She should leave, for the sake of the entire Wizarding World."

Winky's eyes grew wide as she stared at Mrs. Dawson.

"Winky is a good elf! Winky is not going against Master's orders! Master Barty will be angry! He will punish Winky. Miss Granger is not in danger, Master Barty is a good man, he will protect her," Winky spluttered.

"He is _not_ a good man," Mrs. Dawson said angrily. "Listen to me, elf, if you don't let her leave, then you will risk Harry Potter's life. And Hermione's life. You will risk the Dark Side to win."

"Mrs. Dawson should not say those awful things about Master! Winky will not disobey orders!"

"This is not going to work," Hermione sighed. "Please don't insult Barty in front of his house-elf, she will tell him what you said. He will torture you. Please don't do this."

For a moment, Mrs. Dawson looked as if she understood. She looked at her feet for a moment, but then she raised her head again with a determination sparkling in her eyes.

"I don't care," she spat. "I don't care anymore if he knows what I think about him. When he gets back, I'll make sure to tell him _exactly_ what I want him to say. If he thinks he can take away our child from us like this and inject her with all sorts of forbidden Dark Magic, then he is wrong! I don't care if he tortures me, I will scratch his eyes out if he as much as dares to point his wand at me!"

"Darling, you can't say that, please calm down," Mr. Dawson said shocked, looking nervously from his wife to Winky and back to his wife. "I want you to be safe. Don't say these things. I don't approve of what he is doing either, but we both know that he is way stronger than we are. He will have you under the Cruciatus Curse before you can even raise your hand. And I don't want that to happen."

Then he looked at Winky again.

"Please, I am begging you, don't tell Crouch what my wife said."

"Winky is not a liar, sir," Winky replied.

"No, I know… Just- don't mention it," Mr. Dawson said.

"Winky doesn't have to keep her mouth shut. I will tell the man exactly what I want him to hear, and I don't care about being tortured. I can only hope that Skye will stop him if it gets to that. If not, then it is completely worth it, I am old anyways," Mrs. Dawson said.

"No, no, no. Please don't. I don't want to lose you," Mr. Dawson pleaded.

It went on for that for more than thirty minutes. Even Hermione tried to convince Mrs. Dawson not to pick a fight with Barty. But no matter how much they tried, they didn't succeed. Mr. Dawson was very close to tears, but his wife was very certain that Skye would stop Barty from doing anything bad to her. So no one could change her mind. When Barty returned together with Skye, she kept silent at first, making everyone believe that she wasn't going to say anything after all. But she did. She stayed true to her word.

"Crouch," she said, grabbing the Death Eater's attention who had been chatting mainly with Skye thus far. "I need to tell you some things. And don't interrupt me. Wait till I'm finished."

Barty raised his chin slightly, and he looked at the woman in an amused way.

"Fine," he said, allowing her to continue. "I'm listening."

"I know that you are an insanely loyal Death Eater, and that you will never change your ways. But I don't understand why you are dragging our Skye into your dark and twisted world. You are insane, as you probably know yourself, and the fact that you support You-Know-Who isn't helping your case either. If she wants to learn magic, fine by me, but you are keeping her away from the Dark Arts. I don't want her to learn any of the Unforgivables. You are sick if you think that that kind of stuff is normal, and you are even sicker if you actually use that kind of magic. It's dangerous, harmful, and evil, as are the people who practice it. I want Skye to stay away from it, and if you are capable of loving her, then you should listen to me. But I don't expect you to, since your mind is truly twisted and depraved. And you should allow Hermione to leave as well, because she doesn't deserve to be treated like this. She is _seventeen_. She has a future. Just because you don't doesn't mean you have to ruin other people's lives. And I know that you are probably the coward I think you are, and that you are going to torture me for saying all this, but if you were really a man with emotions and intelligence, then you would spare me and listen to me for once."

It was clear that she had ended her tirade when she stopped talking and crossed her arms. Everyone held their breath right now, waiting for Barty's reaction. He did not seem to be pleased at all. Her tone had been disrespectful and her words had been quite offensive. But surprisingly, he didn't attack the woman straight away.

"Anything to add?" he asked calmly.

It was the calm that made this dangerous. The calm was just an indication that the old woman was in danger.

"No," she answered.

Barty nodded his head slightly, and he sighed, as if he was thinking about what he was going to do in this situation. He took out his wand, and he played with it with his fingers, his gaze not leaving that of Mrs. Dawson.

"You think I need to be a coward in order to torture you?" he asked. "Do you think a _coward_ would have done the things I have done for the Dark Lord?"

"I think you are a coward if you resort to the use of violence instead of facing your own mistakes."

"Well… aren't those wise words, coming from such a foolish person. It's not working, dear _mother_. Skye is not going to come back to you, and _I_ will be the one to decide what is going to be included in her education. And Granger is definitely not going to leave. So I suppose that I'll have to – how did you call it? – oh, yes, _keep ruining lives_."

Mrs. Dawson swallowed visibly, but she didn't say anything.

"If you really think you can get away with talking to me like this, then you are wrong. Very wrong. I did not appreciate your rude tone in the slightest. I might have listened if you would have been polite and reasonable, but apparently you can't. I was planning on keeping you alive, since you are in fact Elora's mother, _but…_ if you want to be my enemy… Then so be it."

"That wasn't her point!" Hermione piped up, trying to defend the woman. "She wasn't trying to offend you, or to make enemies, she was just trying to express her feelings towards you. She loves Skye, she wants to protect her."

"Daddy, please don't hurt her," Skye said softly.

"Unbelievable. _Unbelievable!_ " Barty growled. "I have warned her for this. I said that I would not tolerate impoliteness. And then she _dares_ to talk to me like this?! Skye, there is one very important thing you should know… If you want people to take you seriously, then you should _never_ allow them to badmouth you. You need to punish those who do that in order to get respect. Teach them who is in charge."

"But- she is my granny," Skye said.

"Do _not_ try to contradict me, child."

"Leave her alone, you bastard. You haven't seen her for seventeen years and now you try to pretend to be the boss of her?! You have _no_ right whatsoever to claim her as your child! _We_ are her legal guardians!" Mrs. Dawson shouted.

That made Barty actually snap. It was to be expected, he had been trying to keep calm for far too long. It was not completely clear why that remark of Mrs. Dawson suddenly made him snap, but it had clearly touched a nerve. It was probably because Skye was the only person who came close to his lost girlfriend, and anyone trying to take that away from him had to answer to him.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, WOMAN, OR I'LL SHUT IT FOR YOU FOREVER!" he bellowed, and he backhanded Mrs. Dawson, sending her to the floor.

Seeing what had happened to his wife, Mr. Dawson now attacked Barty, punching him straight in the face. It was a very good hit, since it had caught Barty off guard and sent him to the floor as well. But he quickly recovered and he stood up, his wand in front of him. He truly looked like a deranged murderer, and Hermione half-expected him to lose it and to kill the couple on the spot.

"If you think…" he growled with an unnatural voice, "that you can get away with this…"

"You said you weren't a coward," Mr. Dawson said. "But this proves that you are. You just _hit_ a defenseless old woman. If that isn't cowardly, then I don't know what is."

Barty was breathing heavily now, pressing his wand against Mr. Dawson's cheek.

"You know, I think I _should_ finish you off. If you are that ungrateful for my hospitality, for my kindness, for the fact that I am offering you a better life," Barty said. "All you do is swear at me, disrespect me, and punch me. If you want to live, then I want you to beg me for it."

There was no response to that at first. But Barty made sure they would listen.

"GET ON YOUR KNEES, NOW!"

Mrs. Dawson was already on the floor, crying, but she didn't get on her knees like he asked. And Mr. Dawson also remained his place, staring into Barty's eyes defiantly.

"Get on your knees, or I'll see that your Muggle wife will die extremely slowly and extremely painfully," Barty hissed.

That caught Mr. Dawson's attention apparently, because he immediately did as he was ordered.

"As for you, _Muggle_ ," Barty said to Mrs. Dawson who was still lying on the floor. "I think you should learn that you cannot simply talk to Purebloods like this. I let you live in my house, I give you food, I allow you to live, and all you can say to me are these awful things. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Don't hurt her, don't hurt her, please, don't hurt her," Mr. Dawson said quickly.

"Then maybe she should have chosen her words more carefully. And maybe you should not have hit me. It's too late now for her," Barty said with a wicked smile.

"I did as you asked! I am on my knees, I am begging! Don't kill her!"

But it was in vain. He wasn't listening anymore.

"CRUCIO!"

The screams of Mrs. Dawson were so intense that Hermione put her hands over her ears. It hurt to watch someone being in so much pain.

"STOP IT, CROUCH! STOP IT!" Mr. Dawson yelled. "SKYE, DO SOMETHING! HE IS KILLING HER!"

Skye was either in so much shock that she couldn't move, or she was too afraid to interfere, but she didn't make any attempt to stop her father. Barty was only smiling during the torture, enjoying how he inflicted pain on the woman who had been so disrespectful towards him.

"CROUCH, PLEASE!" Mr. Dawson tried again, shouting loud enough to be heard over the screams of his wife. "YOU ARE HURTING HER! ELORA'S MOTHER! ELORA WOULD HAVE HATED YOU FOR THIS!"

That only seemed to make Barty even more furious. He lifted the curse, and he kicked Mr. Dawson in the face, hard.

"HOW DARE YOU TO MENTION HER NAME! HOW DARE YOU!" he thundered.

"If she is coming back… Because that is what you want, right? You want to get her back! If she is coming back, then she would hate you if she sees her mother hurt or dead. She will reject you. She will despise you for what you have become," Mr. Dawson said weakly, spitting out the blood that was coming from his mouth.

Barty just stood there, looking at the man in front of him with a wild look in his eyes. He was shaking with rage, but he now found himself unable to out his rage. He couldn't hurt Elora's parents, for the very reason Mr. Dawson had just given him. But Hermione could also see the doubt in his face, he was thinking.

"For Elora's sake, no, I can't hurt you. But now I have Skye to live for," Barty smirked, looking at his daughter. "I don't think I need to bring back Elora from the death. And if I would still want to bring her back, then I could always tell her that you died a natural death."

He raised his wand again, and Hermione had the unpleasant feeling that he would actually kill both of the Dawsons right now. If Skye wouldn't stop her father, then they would definitely die.

"We are your daughter's grandparents," Mr. Dawson croaked.

"She's got me now," Barty growled, leaning in closer.

"That is not the same thing, you arrogant prick," Mr. Dawson snarled. " _We_ raised her."

"And you failed at doing so. By the way, calling me things like that will only make me kill you more slowly," Barty said with narrowed eyes before raising his wand again at Mrs. Dawson. "And I'll start with my Muggle mother here."

Barty started the torture again, but surprisingly Skye did not make any attempt to stop her father from torturing her grandmother. It was obvious that she was shocked, but she also had a certain air of awe around her. She really seemed to be attracted to the Dark Magic. Although she had said before that she didn't want to see her grandparents hurt or killed, so Hermione was wondering why she wasn't protesting right now. Mr. Dawson had also turned his attention to Skye now, pleading her to help them.

"Skye, darling, we love you! Look at your granny, you are a Dawson! You are not a Crouch. You are not like him! Please, sweetheart," he begged.

That seemed to wake her up somehow.

"Dad," she whispered, tugging on Barty's coat. "Dad, I don't want them to die. I don't want you to hurt them… Please stop."

Barty lifted the curse, but when he turned around he did not seem to be any less furious. If any, he seemed to be angry with Skye now as well.

"They shouldn't disrespect me," he snarled. "Are you on my side or not? Do you wish to be my daughter and become powerful or do you want to live a pathetic life with them? Your choice."

"I- want to… Please don't kill them," Skye stammered.

"Are you turning against me? Are you choosing them over me? ARE YOU?!"

The anger in his voice had been so intense that Skye actually jumped back.

"No! What are you talking about?" she said quickly in her defense. "I never said that! All I am asking from you is to let them live. I know they have been disrespectful towards you, and I know you don't like that, but they are my family. They are your family too. So I ask you to grant them mercy, please do that for me."

His upper lip curled in anger, and he looked like as if he was just about ready to start a killing spree. But then his expression softened and he raised his hand without the wand, and he brought it to Skye's cheek. She flinched slightly when he touched her, but she quickly composed herself.

"You're a smart girl, you really are. Fine. I'll spare them for you. For now. But if they as much as open their mouth without my permission… I'll kill them both. Tell them that. I don't want to see them anymore, I need to calm down first," Barty said softly, while his voice was still trembling with anger.

Skye nodded, and Barty left the living room and went to the kitchen without even looking at anyone else, clearly needing some space to control himself. Skye kneeled down with her grandparents, and she spoke softly to them. The older couple was in shock, but they seemed to realize that they have been very close to their death. Hopefully they would try their best not to provoke Barty anymore from now on, since that would only make things worse. Hermione was focused on something entirely else. She thought about Barty, who had vanished to the kitchen. She thought of how he refrained from killing two people who he obviously wanted to see dead, for the sake of his daughter. He didn't kill the couple, because he wanted to keep his daughter happy.

It had been an act out of _love_.

* * *

 **Hey! I know, I am so quick with this update! And it is also a ridiculously long chapter, compared to the others.**

 **Please let me know what you think of the fic so far, I'd love to hear it :)**

 **xxx**


	31. Chapter 31

Hermione decided to talk to Barty who had gone to the kitchen after waiting for a couple of minutes. Skye had only attention for her parents, and Winky had left the room too, so this was the moment to talk to Barty in private. She was curious to find out why exactly he had spared the lives of the older couple. So she left the living room and she opened the door that led her to the kitchen. It was probably a dangerous and stupid thing to do, after he had said that he needed time to calm down first, but her curiosity took the better of her. She found the Death Eater sitting on the table, his head buried in one hand, and his other hand holding a bottle of rum that was already empty for over three quarters. He didn't seem to notice Hermione entering the room at first. It was only when she lightly touched his shoulder that he looked up.

"Get out," he snarled when he saw who it was.

He looked back down again, as if he was expecting Hermione to leave him alone. But she didn't.

"Why didn't you kill them?" Hermione asked carefully, knowing very well that she shouldn't push him too far.

"Didn't you hear me? I said, _get out_ ," Barty repeated himself, putting down the bottle next to him. "That is a warning."

"I think you couldn't kill them. Because of your daughter," Hermione continued, ignoring his words. Although she felt that she had to be very careful. He was already as good as drunk, judging from the light slur in his voice, and she remembered Winky warning her for that weeks ago.

"So?"

He stood up slowly, and Hermione could feel that her body wanted to move away from him. But somehow she stood her ground bravely.

"So… You are capable of showing mercy. Why won't you show it to others? To me, for example. Why are you so determined to destroy lives? You haven't killed me yet, while I am definitely not the only option for getting Harry. So that shows that you care about me. And I know I have pissed you of by not wanting to sleep with you and by not giving you any _kindness_ , but I don't see why I would be kind if you don't return the favor. As soon as I do anything you don't like, you start threatening people I care about again. But let me tell you this, if you as much as touch Ron or Harry with one finger, it won't make me love you if that is what you think. If that is what you _hope_ ," Hermione rambled. "But I don't think it is too late for you. Because you showed mercy today, for the sake of your daughter. For the sake of someone you love."

"I don't think you get it, darling," Barty slurred, coming closer to her, giving her a sly grin. "If you refuse to be with me, then I will make sure Weasley won't get you either. As long as you don't have anyone else around you to care about, you'll start appreciating my presence, I'm sure of that. As for me showing mercy… you have _no_ idea how hard it was for me to stop myself from killing them."

He took another sip of his rum, staring Hermione straight in the eyes.

"Or don't you believe me?"

He probably saw that Hermione gulped, because he continued his threatening monologue.

"This has got nothing to do with mercy, Hermione. Mercy is not in my vocabulary. I kept them alive because I knew that it would make Skye happy. But if they manage to piss me off again, then I _will_ kill them and not even Skye will be able to stop me. But, as you know, I am not an irrational murderer. I might still decide to spare Weasley's life, if you can convince me."

He was too close now, she could smell the alcohol in his breath.

"I'll be nice to you, you'll be nice to me. We could make a relationship work. Because I know that deep down, you find me exciting. You want to understand me. You came here to me with a reason, even though you _know_ that I am unpredictable. You find yourself attached to me. So I think we can make this work, in exchange for the life of the Weasley boy."

"Then- then you'll be forcing love. You know I won't love you," Hermione stammered, slightly taken back by his words.

"No, sweetheart, I'll _know_ when you're faking it. I shall know. So know what you're signing up for," Barty said, stroking her hair with one hand, while taking another sip of rum.

"You're drunk," she snapped, slapping his hand away.

"Don't be like that… I might end up hurting you. You don't want that, do you?" Barty slurred.

"What if I refuse your proposal? What happens then?" Hermione asked.

"Well, for a starters, Weasley will be killed," Barty answered, taking a short moment of silence to think about his next words. "Let's just say that you'll regret rejecting me. Lots of innocent people might die, lots of your so-called friends might die. Remember that I am in a perfect position for that at Hogwarts…"

"Well, I can hardly accept your offer, can I? Because I will _never_ love you! You're a psychotic murderer who enjoys the fear and pain of others!" Hermione almost shouted, taking a step back from him at the same time. "I you really wanted me to love you, which is not likely to happen, then you should stop threatening everyone I love and start treating people with respect!"

"Not _likely_ to happen? So you admit there are feelings then," Barty smirked.

"There are not, because you are a psychotic murderer, like I said," Hermione snapped, staring back at him defiantly. He was drunk, so hopefully his coordination wouldn't be good enough for him to actually attack her.

"You're a brave little thing, aren't you? But you didn't listen to me," Barty said, a little bit too calm. "I said that I _wouldn't_ kill innocents and your friends and your Weasley boy if you would show me signs of actual love."

Hermione sighed in annoyance.

"You don't get it, do you?!" she now practically shouted. "You're not even giving me an option! Why do you want people to be afraid of you so badly? Why? If you would just show some mercy, if you would stop threatening people like every other second, and if you would stop trying to force me into some kind of twisted form of love… Love _can't_ be forced. It needs to grow. If you really want to have a chance with me, then you really should beg me on your knees for forgiveness, mister. Not the other way round. I owe you _nothing_. You, on the other hand, have hurt me so much and so many times in so many ways, that you are not even worthy of my love. I am surprised that your sick mind would even think that I would actually say yes to your offer."

There was a unreadable spark in his eyes, something that gave Hermione hope. Something that made her hope that he would actually see that he had been wrong. But of course that hope was completely misplaced. Barty's expression changed in something much darker, and it eventually contorted in a face full of rage. His hands became fists, his upper lip curled dangerously, and he smashed the almost empty bottle of rum against the wall very close to Hermione. If she had been one step to her left, then her head would have been smashed. Then before she knew it, Barty had grasped her throat with one hand, pinning her against the wall with surprising strength for someone who had just chucked down almost one liter of strong alcohol.

"You think you can control me? WRONG!" he shouted in her face. "You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not. So we can do this the nice way, or the hard way. If you are willing to give it a fair try, which means that you will _convince_ me of your love, then I can promise you that Weasley gets to live. I'll give you that. If not, then fine, but I can assure you that you'll pay the price for rejecting me. Because despite of what you may think, I don't need you. You are disposable. I've got Skye now to take care for, I don't need you. So if you decide to reject me, fine, but just know the consequences."

She was afraid now. She was very afraid. And although she hated to admit it, she couldn't control him. He was right about that. She wasn't going to change his mind. And she didn't really have a choice either. She _had_ to say yes just to make sure innocents wouldn't become the victim of his wrath.

"Well?" Barty hissed, pressing against her throat even harder.

"Y-yes, I'll do it. Happy now?" Hermione coughed.

"Good," he smirked, letting go of her throat now luckily. "Then I expect you to take this seriously."

Luckily for Hermione, a loud yell in the living room interrupted Barty from making any more demands. She was afraid that without the distraction, Barty would definitely have asked her for more physical contact, especially now that he was drunk. But now his focus shot to the door leading to the living room, and he stumbled towards it. Hermione followed him, curious of what has caused the yell. When she entered the room behind the unstable Barty, she saw Amycus Carrow, the Death Eater, standing in the middle of the room with a wand in his hand which was now aimed at Barty.

"What are you doing in my house?" Barty growled angrily,

He did not have his wand at the ready, however, which meant that he was disadvantaged.

"One step, Crouch, and _you'll_ be the one to receive a torture," Amycus hissed.

Barty's upper lip curled in anger, but he was definitely not impressed by the threats. Maybe it was the alcohol that made him braver than he should be, but there was no sign of fear to be spotted on him.

"Answer my question, Carrow, I don't feel particularly patient today," Barty urged.

"I found my sister in her study this morning at Hogwarts. She has been tortured. She can barely speak. And I think it was you, Crouch. I _know_ it was you. You didn't like us, and now that you are Headmaster you think that you can do whatever the hell you want. Guess what? You _can't,"_ Amycus snarled with just as much hatred in his voice. Then his eye fell on Skye and her grandparents. "Who are these people? Are they your _friends?_ "

"My family, actually," Barty replied with as much calm as he could possibly muster. "As for Alecto, I have nothing to do with it. If you leave now I shall forget that you have barged into my home and pointed your wand at me."

"Your family, eh?"

"I think I ordered you to leave," Barty growled, although he was still wise enough not to move. Still, the way he had spoken already rang several alarms with Hermione.

"It's only fair, don't you think?" Amycus said sinisterly. "You hurt my family, I hurt yours…"

Barty's whole body tensed now. He would not take kindly on threats, and definitely not on threats made directly to his only child. He was very protective over Skye, and Amycus was foolish enough to test his limits. Hermione was certain that both Carrows would be wiped out of existence if Amycus would as much as touch a hair of Skye.

"I've told you, I know nothing about your sister's torture. It was probably a student," Barty said slowly. "I left Hogwarts this early morning. Now, if you would like to stay alive, I would advise you not to lay _one_ finger on my daughter. The threats you are making are already enough for me to make me want to murder you, and I am sure that the Dark Lord would grant me that permission if I gave him my motivations. So… lower your wand, and _get out_."

"You know what happened to Alecto. You inflicted this pain on her. There is no way denying it. So I don't care if you are going to cry later with the Dark Lord like the pathetic loser that you really are, I don't care if you were the king of the world, I am here to take revenge on you."

Before Barty could even open his mouth, he was tightly captured in ropes.

 _"_ _Silencio,"_ Amycus quickly added, preventing Barty from speaking. "I am sick of hearing your empty threats, Crouch. For such a young member of the Death Eaters you surely have a big mouth. You should start respecting your seniors. I know I can't kill you, but I _can_ kill your family. And after that, I shall wipe your memories. Don't think you can outsmart me…"

Barty looked truly murderous as he was struggling to get free. But after the amount of rum and due to the well-performed incarcerous spell, he couldn't possibly manage.

"What's wrong? You don't like being powerless?" Amycus sneered before aiming his wand at Skye while he had the other Death Eater under control. "Too bad. Let's see how you like it when your family gets hurt. CRUCIO!"

The next moment, Skye was screaming on the floor. Which only seemed to infuriate Barty even more. He couldn't do anything against it though. But through the rage, Hermione could also see the pain in Barty's eyes. And she knew, if there was any moment to win his trust, then it was now. He was helpless now, while Hermione was still free from any curses. And she definitely didn't like Barty, but she would rather choose his side than that of Amycus. Besides, she didn't like to see Skye being tortured. Maybe Barty would even show her gratitude if he saw that she was loyal to him. Because that was the one trait he valued most above everything else. Before even thinking about other eventual consequences, Hermione leapt towards Amycus and jumped on his back, taking the Death Eater in surprise. She quickly snatched the wand out of his hand, and she now aimed it at Amycus. Skye was freed from the torture curse immediately, and she tried to get up. Hermione quickly stunned Amycus with a flick of the wand, before turning towards the helpless and powerless Barty. She could just attack him. She could even kill him. He deserved it, after all he had done to her. But at the same time, she _wanted_ him to live. It felt strange, but she didn't want him dead. Some part of her even wanted to see what he was going to do with Amycus. By freeing Barty, she might even have a chance to keep her friends alive. So with another flick of the wand, she undid Barty from the ropes, and she gave the counter curse for the silencing spell.

Barty stood up only very slowly, waiting for what Hermione was going to do. She had, after all, the wand still pointed at him. He didn't look scared, however. It was as if he knew that she wouldn't actually kill him. When Hermione offered him the wand, she could have sworn that he even offered her a small smile in return that wasn't anything like his usual cold smile. It was a smile of gratitude. But his moment of kindness disappeared as soon as it came when he laid eyes on Amycus, the wand shaking in his hand with anger.

"Oh, Amycus, the things I am going to do to you… I am going to hurt you in so many ways," he growled venomously, while advancing on his fellow Death Eater. "Killing you would be really kind."

He slowly took another step closer, before aiming his wand.

"Unfortunately for you, I don't feel kind today."


	32. Chapter 32

"Get me my own wand from the kitchen, Hermione. Now," Barty growled, keeping his wand and glare aimed at Amycus.

Hermione complied almost immediately after hearing that venomous tone he used, and sticking to her original plan of trying to befriend him the best she could, she thought it best just to do what he asked from her. She didn't really care about Amycus anyways. A big part of her even wanted Amycus to suffer for all the horrible things he had done. She rushed to the kitchen to get Barty's wand, and without the slightest hesitation she went back to hand it over to the Death Eater. She could easily have used it against Barty. Or she could have tried. But she didn't, mainly because it was definitely not smart to fuel Barty's rage even further.

"Thank you, darling," Barty smirked when the wand was handed over to him.

"You can't kill me, Crouch," Amycus sighed, rolling his eyes. He was trying to come across as chilled and nonchalant, but he was doing a very bad job at it. He was afraid.

"Can't I?" Barty hissed softly, breaking Amycus' wand in front of his eyes and throwing it at his feet. "I don't think anyone gives a damn about your life, least of all the Dark Lord. You'll be replaced. As will your sister."

"Y-you need his approval though."

"You didn't ask him for approval for barging into my house, did you? Besides… this is _my_ house, so you are at my mercy and mine alone. We can always say it was a… tragic _accident_ ," Barty said, the most chilling and cruel smile appearing on his face. "You hurt my daughter… And you will bleed for it."

Hermione quickly closed her eyes when she saw Barty raising his wand with the intention of causing a lot of pain to the other Death Eater. But unfortunately it didn't prevent her from hearing the sound of the _diffindo_ spell cutting in flesh and the painful screams that were coming from the victim. This was only the beginning, and it was the moment where Amycus should start pleading and apologizing, Hermione knew. It wouldn't make the punishment any less, but it would prevent Barty from becoming even more hostile. However, Amycus didn't do what was expected from him. When Hermione opened her eyes, she saw with horror the bleeding body of Amycus, who wasn't even hurt yet with the Cruciatus Curse.

"Nothing to say, coward? Come on… I want you to scream harder than that… I won't start torturing you until you showed me your real fear of me," Barty growled, continuing cutting in the man's flesh with his teeth bared in anger.

It was the cruelest thing Hermione had ever witnessed. The man was already getting tortured really badly, and Barty just told him he hadn't even started yet. She could feel some remorse for Amycus somewhere, but her fear for Barty and her need to get on better terms with him prevented her from opening her mouth. If she would say something, she would be on the receiving end of the torture. And she didn't want that to happen. She could see that Skye was looking slightly worried as well, her eyes were wide with horror. Skye's grandparents were just sitting in the corner in silence, not daring to intervene. Skye was either going to stop her father, or Amycus would be tortured to the brink of death before being murdered viciously. The girl didn't any attempt to stop her father, though, probably with the same arguments as Hermione. And maybe she even enjoyed the show, maybe she even admired her father for what he was doing.

The screams became more and more intense, and Barty was grinning like a maniac. He didn't seem to either notice or care that his house as well as himself were covered in blood. He was really enjoying himself while torturing his traitorous colleague. When the screams didn't seem to work, Amycus decided that he should try to speak.

"Please, Crouch, p-please… I-I am b-begging you," he coughed. "Have mercy…"

Barty's eyes grew even wider, the animalistic glare now accompanied by his nervous tongue flick.

" _Mercy_ is for the weak, Carrow. I have none. So begging me for it isn't going to help you…" he hissed, forcing the Death Eater to stand up with the help of his wand. "You should have thought about that _before_ threatening me and my family and accusing me wrongly."

"I-I am s-so s-s-sorry," Amycus spluttered, spitting blood out of his mouth. "I shouldn't have angered you, and I shouldn't have underestimated you… P-please…"

Barty stared the other man in the eyes for a second, raising his chin as if he were royalty, and for a moment it seemed like he was going to accept the apologies. But of course he wasn't going to, he wasn't a forgiving person, and he had promised Amycus death. No apologies were going to save the man now.

"Didn't you tell me earlier that I should respect my superiors, huh?" Barty growled so softly that it was barely understandable.

"I-I didn't mean… I-I am not your superior, only the Dark Lord is," Amycus whimpered, turning white as a sheet.

"That's right…" Barty said, a small smile creeping on his lips again. "You were unwise to rank yourself higher than me. I am one of the Dark Lord's most loyal followers, whereas you are… _unimportant_ to him. I think you should bow before _me_ , don't you think? Rather than the other way round?"

"You're not my boss," Amycus said, but when the wand was pushed against his throat, he sank down on his knees. "If you'll keep me alive… then y-yes."

"That is not how it works," Barty grinned. "You are going to die, Carrow. CRUCIO!"

The torture went on for longer than Amycus could possibly take. He was slowly dying out of pain, and no one seemed to want to intervene, or they didn't dare to do so. Barty wasn't going to stop until the other Death Eater was dead at his feet. It scared Hermione a lot, it was really terrifying to see what the man she was living with was actually capable of. She knew that he could do this, he had done it before, but it still frightened her. Although she couldn't find any remorse for the Death Eater, she would rather be on Barty's side, even though she disapproved of what he was doing right now. The screams and convulsions stopped eventually, and Hermione was certain that Amycus would be dead. Barty seemed to realize it as well, since he lifted the curse, but it still wasn't enough for him.

" _Avada Kedavra_ ," he hissed, a green flash of light following, preventing Amycus from ever breathing again.

The bloody mess around them was really awful, but Barty didn't even seem to care. He just called for Winky and ordered her to clean up the mess, including the body. When he sat down, slightly panting from the effort and excitement, everyone in the room just seemed to be staring at him as if he was a time bomb that could explode any second. He was still staring in front of him with a wild and lunatic look in his eyes, with caused everyone to wisely keep their distance. Until…

"Hermione," he said hoarsely, beckoning her. "You- you helped me." He sounded surprised, slightly amused, but mostly confused and suspicious. "Why?"

"Because I told you, I _promised_ you, to it work, remember? And that starts with trust, with loyalty," Hermione simply replied. "So I chose your side."

"You didn't use the wand against me," Barty said slowly, as if he wasn't believing it himself.

"I didn't," she confirmed.

Now she received a smile from him, something that was very rare. He never smiled, and when he did, it was cold and dangerous. This was a warmer kind of smile, something that made Hermione see that he was not a complete monster, that there was still a man inside, that he had a heart.

"Good girl," he grinned. "You are finally learning. I am proud of you, I really am. You have made the right choice, you know? I think you deserve a reward… Is there anything you would like to have?"

"Safety and respect would be nice," Hermione replied with a rather edgy undertone.

"I am already giving you that. I meant something else, something pretty, jewelry perhaps?" Barty pressed, ignoring the rude tone Hermione had been giving him. "I'll take you out shopping, in Diagon Alley."

Hermione smiled at that, she felt rather proud that she had succeeded in making Barty this grateful for her support. She would keep her friends safe this way. And to be honest, it felt quite nice to fight another Death Eater together, as if they were a team. As if they were supporting each other. It gave her a sense of security, it gave her the feeling that he would protect her.

"I'd love to. But on two conditions," Hermione said, careful not to push it too far. "You will pay for anything you buy, you will not threaten any shopkeeper into giving you things for free, and you will not hurt or kill anyone."

"Sounds fair," Barty shrugged. "I've already had my torture and killing for today anyways. But I can't promise you anything if people start being disrespectful though."

Since Hermione was fairly convinced that no one in their right mind would be disrespectful towards a dangerous Death Eater, Hermione shrugged and nodded, not bothering to contradict him. But when he stood up and offered her his arm and a Polyjuice Potion, her eyes widened.

"What? You want to go now? You're drunk. Besides, your daughter is not feeling well," Hermione protested, worried that the alcohol might stimulate his aggressive behavior.

"Nonsense, she's fine," Barty said, looking at Skye who was already on her feet. "I'm feeling great, I'm not drunk. Take your potion."

"I don't think you should-"

But he squeezed her upper arm painfully, letting her know that she shouldn't argue with him. So she took the disgusting potion again, and she allowed Barty to drag her outside. She didn't know why he was so eager to take her out all of a sudden, but she didn't really mind either. She liked to be out again, it was better than being imprisoned. They apparated to Diagon Alley, where the streets were again loaded with wizards and wizards who were doing their Christmas shopping. Luckily, Barty seemed to be in a good mood, and Hermione prayed that he would stay that way. The jewelry store was quite crowded as well, but the appearance of a Death Eater caused the shop to empty really quickly. However, Barty seemed to notice that.

"Oh, come on, there's no reason to leave," he told three remaining witched who had been rushing towards the exit. "Please, stay for a bit."

The witches were not too eager to stay, but they didn't dare to disobey either. So they quietly stumbled back into the shop, pretending to be highly interested in some silver rings.

"What do you think, sweetheart? A necklace would be really nice perhaps," Barty said, his fingers stroking Hermione's neck. "Maybe something gold, those are _your_ colors after all, aren't they? Red and gold."

"You don't want me to go for silver?" Hermione asked.

"It's up to you, I'm not choosing for you, darling. Pick something, don't make it too cheap."

It was almost scary how nice the Death Eater was suddenly acting. Hermione wasn't even sure if it was an act or if he was genuinely trying to reward her for her loyalty and help. Maybe he was really trying to make an effort, maybe he actually wanted her to like and even love him. She didn't want to point it out, though, she wanted Barty to stay in this good mood. So she picked out a subtle silver pendant with a small diamond in it, and she showed it to her captor. Because that was still how she saw him, he was still her captor.

"That's modest," Barty said, shaking his head. "Maybe…"

His eye fell on a silver necklace with a pendant made out of a much larger diamond. The silver chain even contained tiny ruby's, which gave the necklace a red glow.

"That is beautiful," Hermione whispered. "But… the price… It says 750 Galleons…"

"We need to cover up your blood status with something, don't we? You won't be taken seriously with cheap rubbish. If you like it, I'll buy it."

"Why? Why are you so- so _nice_ to me?" Hermione asked suspiciously, not believing that he would spend that ridiculous amount of money on her.

"Because I want to keep you, little thing," he told her. "Don't pretend you don't want me to be nicer, you have experienced the other option, you know that I could also be less pleasant. But I want to protect you, and I need you to love me in return."

The shopkeeper came over to the couple, wanting to offer them his help.

"Can I assist you in something, sir, madam?" he asked politely, his hands clasped together and his head slightly bowed. He knew what Barty was, he was just being rightfully careful.

"The necklace, are the diamonds real?" Barty asked.

"Yes, sir, of course they are, sir. I can show you, sir," the man said, and with a trembling hand he took out his wand. " _Diffindo_."

Nothing changed in the necklace, proving that the material was strong and indeed diamond.

"You see, sir, glass would have been immediately shattered by the spell," the man explained. "I only sell the best, sir."

"I should hope so," Barty said, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "If I ever find out that you have been deceiving me, you should pray that I won't be able to find you. So be careful what you sell to me."

"Of course, sir, I understand, sir. Only the best for the lady, sir," the man rattled.

"Shut up and wrap it for me will you?" Barty sighed, rolling his eyes, then looking at Hermione. "It will be your Christmas present."

"It's not fair, I can't even buy anything for you," Hermione said, looking at how the man was wrapping the present behind the counter with trembling hands, eager to please and desperate not to make any mistakes.

"I can buy anything I want. I don't need you to buy me things. Some things don't have to cost you money, you know?" Barty grinned, flicking his tongue once.

Hermione didn't respond to that, she knew exactly what he meant. And ashamed of herself, she knew that she had reached the point at which she would willingly give him what he wanted. She felt safe with him somehow, she found him strangely attractive and even exciting, he was being considerably nice to her, and she didn't want to risk anyone else's lives. So she had every reason to try and keep him happy the best she could. Even though he had hurt her severely before. Because Hermione didn't give him any response, she saw that Barty had turned his attention back at the shopkeeper, who felt even more pressure under Barty's watchful eyes.

"You're scaring him, stop it," Hermione hissed, tugging on Barty's sleeve.

"I'm not even doing anything," he said, raising his eyebrows in innocence.

"You are being a Death Eater, that is reason enough to scare the poor man. Why can't you just be nice to him? Say thank you for once."

His eyebrows rose even further.

"That is exactly the point, darling. People _should_ be scared, their fear means that we are in control, it shows that we are powerful," Barty explained. "You don't get to tell me what to do, remember that."

"Sir, we are not here to hurt you," Hermione now said to the shopkeeper, who stopped wrapping the necklace immediately when he was spoken to. "I apologize for Mr. Crouch's behavior, he didn't mean to frighten you."

But she immediately knew that she had yet made another mistake. Barty wouldn't allow her to take charge like that. She had just spoken for him, which he didn't like in the slightest. She had made him angry, and she could see it in his posture. So she decided to apologize to him quickly.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

But after giving her a silencing death glare, Barty fixed his eyes on the poor shopkeeper.

"I should apologize for my companion here, who _dares_ to open her mouth like that without my permission. Now… you better start wrapping that necklace really quickly, before I lose my patience," he said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry," Hermione repeated, slightly scared now.

He took her arm with an iron grip and dragged her out of the shopkeeper's hearing to whisper in her ear.

"I know you are. But you should be more careful when talking about me like that in public. I am a Death Eater, a renowned one, a feared and powerful one, and you need to remember that. As should everyone. I won't allow _anyone_ to talk about me like that, which includes you. But it's Christmas, so I am going to give you a second chance. Make sure you have learned your lesson," he growled.

Hermione nodded quickly, her eyes never leaving Barty's.

"Good girl. Then I can promise you that you will live to see another Christmas."

And with his back towards the shopkeeper, so that he couldn't see anything, Barty bend down and kissed Hermione on the forehead. It was strange that he was doing that, maybe he was still influenced by the alcohol, but it was in every way better than him taking out his anger on Diagon Alley. Because that is what she had feared initially when he wanted to take her out shopping. The light kiss gave her strangely enough a good feeling, which she wasn't supposed to feel. He was a _Death Eater,_ a dangerous murderer, and here he was, showing actual affection for her.


	33. Chapter 33

The Christmas holidays went by really quickly. And even though Hermione knew that she wasn't supposed to feel that way, she felt safe and secure with Barty. He had only left her alone once, when he went out to tell Voldemort about the death of Amycus Carrow, and he hadn't even threatened her with what would happen if she would even try to escape. He had been much kinder to her, even though he was still cold towards everyone else except for his daughter. But Hermione didn't care as long as he would treat her with more respect. He even started to smile at her more often, not really in the kind and affectionate way she was used to from her friends, but it still counted as a warmer kind of smile. She tried to tell herself that was the way the Death Eater showed affection. Besides that, the smile made him more attractive. Hermione didn't miss home as much as she used to, she had even helped Winky decorating a Christmas tree, which made her feel more at home. Of course she wasn't entirely safe, and she had to watch her words very carefully, but at the same time she knew that Barty was protecting her and that he would keep his word. He had protected her before from other men, she felt safe when he was holding her. And even though she would never have thought it, she had found out that Barty did actually have a heart, he was just careful in showing it to anyone. At Christmas, after she had received her way too expensive necklace, she had even given him the Christmas present he wanted without him asking for it. Just accepting her fate seemed to be the best thing she could do for now, it made her life so much easier.

Skye's grandparents, however, had a much more difficult life. Barty had still not forgiven them for being rude and ungrateful, so he still wouldn't allow them to talk without his permission. Of course they received gifts for Christmas as well, but that was more out of formality than out of kindness. The couple was not even allowed to eat with the rest, they were to eat in the kitchen while the others were dining in the living room. Barty was merely allowing them to live in his house because they were related to his daughter. Skye did receive more attention from her father, and they seemed to become a lot closer. They had even discussed that Skye would attend at Hogwarts with students of her own age. She would have a problem with keeping up with the rest, but at least she could learn something instead of staying at the manor and doing nothing. Hermione thought that it was more because that way Barty could actually keep an eye on her, he wanted her to become a dark witch, just like he was, and he didn't quite trust her with her grandparents. And of course, convinced that Harry and Ron would show up at some point, Hermione had to come too. On the last day of the holidays however, Barty seemed to be really angry about something. So Hermione decided to question him about it before he would bottle up his anger and out it on her.

"What's wrong?" she asked him during breakfast on the morning of their departure. "I can see you are upset."

"It's Hogwarts. Alecto Carrow still hasn't recovered from the attack that took place on her. And the Dark Lord has appointed Lucius Malfoy of all people to take over her place. Nothing I can do about that," he growled.

Hermione just nodded in understanding, she knew how much Barty hated the Malfoy family, in his eyes they were all traitors and cowards. She didn't reply to him, there was nothing she could really think of that she could say.

"By the way," he continued in his same grudgy voice, "I am going to find the one who attacked Carrow back at Hogwarts. And I don't care what I have promised you, if it is one of your friends who has done this, I'll punish them severely. So be warned. I didn't care about Carrow in the slightest, but this has been an attack on a Death Eater, therefore an attack on the Dark Lord himself. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Hermione answered in almost a whisper, knowing fully well that it wasn't wise to argue with him at this point.

There was a very big chance that this has been an action of one of the Gryffindors, maybe even more than one. They were the only ones Hermione could think of that would be brave and reckless enough to actually attack a Death Eater. The problem was that Barty wasn't stupid, he too probably knew who the attackers were already. He might not know exactly who it was, but he could make a very good guess. And if the students would not confess by themselves, he would go through them one by one.

For the next three days, Hermione had no idea what Barty was up to. He wouldn't tell her anything, so she had no idea if her friends were still safe and alive. She had been locked up in the bedroom next to Barty's study, protected with many defensive spells and even Dark Magic Hermione didn't even know about. A Hogwarts house-elf came to her room once in a while to provide her with food and drinks, which was the only social contact she had in a day apart from Barty. She hadn't seen Skye either, who was currently sleeping in the Slytherin dormitory. On the third day after their arrival at Hogwarts, the not knowing anything about what was going on became too much, and she just started crying. It was really the first time in a long time that she had cried, and it all came out at once. When Barty returned to the room in the evening after dinner, which Hermione hadn't even touched that night because she was too upset, she burst out in tears again, as if she couldn't stop crying anymore. Luckily for her though, Barty wasn't in a foul mood, and he didn't get annoyed with her which was what she had been afraid for at first. Instead, he sat down next to her on the bed and he wrapped his arms around her, pressing her head softly against his chest and stroking her hair in a soothing manner. He waited patiently for her to calm down before asking her what was wrong.

"Shhh," he said in her ear. "Tell me why you are crying."

It was hard to remember that it was really a psychotic murderer who was comforting her at the moment. It felt good to be held like this by him, and he smelled so nice.

"I- I am s-so s-scared," she sobbed, pressing her head even harder against his chest.

"Why? What are you afraid of? You are not in any danger as long as you don't give me a reason to be angry, I told you that," he said reassuringly.

"I- I am s-scared f-for my f-friends," Hermione explained. "I-I d-don't know what is h-happening outside a-and I d-don't know if they are f-fine, and I am afraid of w-what you will do t-to the s-students who attacked C-Carrow."

"I already know who attacked Carrow."

Hermione's eyes widened in shock.

"A boy called Seamus Finnigan, and another boy called Ernie MacMillan," Barty told her. "You have every right to be scared for them. _However_ , I can see that my little Hermione really cares about the well-being of her fellow students."

She nodded eagerly.

"Please don't hurt them, they only attacked Carrow, she probably even started it," Hermione argued.

"I didn't like her, but she is still a Death Eater. They had no right to attack her. As a teacher and a Death Eater, she falls still under the responsibility of me and the Dark Lord himself."

"The students are also your responsibility," Hermione whispered, looking up to meet his eyes from under his arm. "You can let them go. Or give them detention, chores, anything! Just not torture."

He laughed at that, as if it was the best joke he had ever heard.

"You know I am not going to let them go, sweetheart. But, if you really care so much, if you are _really_ that scared for their safety, then I might just be able to soften my punishment. Just remember that I am doing that for you, not for anyone else," he said with a low voice, and Hermione wasn't sure if it was a threat or if it was kindness. "Now wipe away your tears and stop being afraid, there is no one who can hurt you, little lion. You should eat your dinner. I think you can use some energy for tonight."

That underlying promise would have scared her before, but she had grown quite used to it. Hermione had learned in the past few months how to deal with Barty, she had the feeling that she knew him better now. And when he was holding her in that protective manner, she couldn't really think of him as a murderer anymore. She was still afraid of him, because she knew what he could do if she would anger him, but as long as she behaved, she could feel safe with him. She just had to make sure she wouldn't give him a reason to hurt her. Of course, there was no way she could change his mind about certain things. He was going to punish poor Seamus and Ernest, but hopefully she has had some influence on him. She would be able to hear the torture or whatever Barty had planned for them since they would come to his study the next morning, so hopefully Barty would hold back for her sake. Hermione did feel rather special, since she had the idea that he was actually quite fond of her. She knew it was so wrong, but she didn't even think about Ron and Harry that much anymore when she was with him. Whatever the Death Eater was doing to her, it was working. And Hermione wasn't even so sure anymore if she didn't secretly enjoy it.

"How is Skye?" she decided to ask softly, keeping her head rested against Barty's chest.

"Fine, fine…" he answered in her ear. "I spoke to her this morning. She's got some problems with Lucius, but I am sure they will be solved soon."

"Problems?"

"Lucius is apparently under the impression that he is the king of the world. He thinks he can do and say whatever he wants. He also said certain... _things_ about me, and Skye contradicted him. He knows she is my daughter, the filthy coward probably wanted to irritate me."

"And you are letting him?" Hermione asked surprised. She tried to ask him carefully though, she didn't want to give him any ideas. She didn't want to fuel his anger.

"I am trying my best to ignore it for now. If he is smart, he won't take it any further with his behavior. He knows that I won't hesitate to hurt him, he knows that I will enjoy hurting him, and he also knows there is nothing he can do to stop me from doing it. I just want to avoid meeting Lucius for now, because God help me, I _will_ hurt that traitor," he growled in response.

That sounded more like the Barty Hermione knew. She had had the tiniest sparkle of hope that he might have been showing mercy, but it was only trying to stop himself from hurting his fellow Death Eater which would bring many more complications.

"Good thing that I have two students tomorrow to release some of my anger," Barty smirked, his tone telling Hermione that he was trying to mess around with her.

"Don't try to scare me, please," Hermione whispered, now pushing him away from her gently. "I hate it when you talk like that."

It was not a lie. It really brought her cold shivers through her spine when she heard him talking about hurting others, because she _knew_ how horrifying his tortures could be.

"I'm not trying to scare you, love," Barty said. "I already promised you to soften my punishment. You should be grateful for that."

"I am, I really am," Hermione said quickly. "Thank you."

"Now, if you are not going to eat you dinner, then I am going to take you right here right now," he growled. "Your choice."

Hermione rolled her eyes and reluctantly stood up to sit down at the table. At least she could try to eat something.


	34. Chapter 34

The next day, when class had ended and Barty had once again returned to his chambers where he would also punish Ernie and Seamus later in his office, Hermione was waiting for him at the dining table where they would eat together. She was extra careful when speaking, since it would not do her fellow Gryffindors any good if she would anger Barty right now. But still, she wanted to make sure he would keep his promise. It was not before the dessert that she dared to speak up.

"Barty?"

"Hmm?"

There was a silence again for a moment, since she was still trying to find the right words.

"What is it?"

"I- I want to ask you something, please don't be angry. I would like to know what you are going to do to Ernie and Seamus," Hermione said softly, not wanting to look the Death Eater in the eyes.

"Are you sure about that?"

That was all he gave as a reply. And it didn't bring Hermione any comfort at all. The way he had just said that only gave her chills. He could just as well have said that he was going to murder them. That would have given the exact same feeling.

"Are you even capable of having compassion?" Hermione asked, her voice now even quieter.

"No. I don't suppose I am."

"How many murders have you committed? Have you even counted the lives that have been destroyed by your hand? How many times have you spoken the Killing Curse, or have you tortured people to their deaths with the Cruciatus Curse?"

She realized too late that her voice sounded really cold now. And that Barty was probably not happy that she was asking him these questions. But the long moment of painful silence made her realize that she must have pissed her captor off. She was still too afraid to look him in the eyes, so she couldn't see how angry he actually was. So she waited for him to talk, or shout, or maybe even worse.

"Hermione… I want you to look at me when I talk to you. Now."

"N-no, you're angry with me."

"I'm not. Look at me," he growled. "Before I have a reason to get angry."

Her eyes shot up immediately to meet his, and she saw that he had been speaking the truth. He was not as furious as she thought he would be, but he didn't look very pleased with her either.

"Good girl. Now, I do have the answers to your questions, but I don't think you really want to hear the number. I haven't counted the deaths _exactly_ , but it has been a lot, I can assure you that. So don't try to talk to me about remorse, compassion, mercy, or that kind of foolishness, because it isn't going to work on me. I have killed. I have tortured. Both innocents and enemies. So don't think for a _second_ that I won't do it again just because you are crying to me that you don't want your little friends to die. I am a Death Eater, I am not cute little puppy that you can cuddle without any danger of getting bitten. I believe in ambition, loyalty, and obedience. And those who refuse to live up to those values deserve to be punished. Don't you dare try to change me by trying to prick my conscious, because I won't fall for that. I don't regret my decisions. Violence is necessary in order to change this world. As soon as the Dark Lord has absolute power, the killings will decrease too. It is just part of the war, darling. But I don't expect you to understand. You have the naivety of a child, you are too innocent, too pure to even begin to understand my cause."

"Excuse me?"

Now it was Hermione's turn to be angry. How dare he say that she couldn't understand what he was saying? Of course she understood. It just didn't make any sense. It was twisted, evil, cold-hearted. When Barty raised his eyebrows, she decided to continue.

"I know what you are saying, but that doesn't mean it is okay what you are saying. Of course I do understand. But I have never seen a member of the Order killing or torturing someone just for fun," Hermione snapped.

Barty chuckled at that, his eyes wild.

"You honestly think your so-called friends from the Order have never killed? You _honestly_ think that the Aurors at the Ministry never torture people for information? Because they do. They torture and kill too, Hermione. We do not live in a fairytale where everything is happy and bright, no, we live in the reality. Sure, I use Unforgivables to torture and kill, sure, I make people fear me. But that is all to show that we are powerful. It is an act of power and strength. Seeing the fear in people's eyes, them knowing that I am the stronger one, I enjoy that feeling. But as soon as I have formal power, that won't even be necessary anymore. No more rebellions, no more wars. Everyone will kneel before the Dark Lord. People will kneel before me." He brought his lips to Hermione's ear so that she could feel the hot breath against her skin. "And maybe, if you are lucky, people will kneel before you too."

"You are completely deranged," Hermione growled, pushing Barty away from her in a reflex, only to realize just a second later that she should not have done that.

"That is not what I wanted to hear, sweetheart," Barty grinned. "Not. At. All."

"Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm just… very emotional. I am worried. I am scared. I am scared for Ernie and Seamus. I am afraid of you. And you are right, I don't understand you. I will never understand how anybody could support these… these… _ideals_."

"Oh, but you _will_ support these ideals, Hermione. You will. Because that might keep you alive. Just like you will accept me."

"I-I am trying to accept you. It's just hard with you having this sick thoughts in your head."

"I don't like your tone, girl," Barty said, now clearly angry. "After all I have done for you. It went so well. I appreciate that you speak up to me, that you want to talk with me about what is bothering you, but you will _not_ mock the ideals of the Dark Lord. You will obey him. I think you need to be punished for your big mouth, don't you?"

"N-no, please, I have told you that I am s-sorry."

"There are other ways to use that big mouth of yours, more _pleasuring_ ways. Would you like me to show you, love?" Barty growled. "And if you _really_ want me to go easy on your fellow students… then I could always kill them instantly. They won't feel a thing."

"You won't do that. You can't do that. They are students," Hermione said.

"I would do it if you tell me to. Tell me to do it and I will. I shall be merciful."

"Of course I don't want you to kill them! What the hell is your problem? All I ask from you is not to punish them badly. Let them do chores. Let them make extra homework. But _no_ torture."

"Then I think you should not have made me angry with you, darling," he said, kissing her earlobe. "You know I don't like that. I want you to be nice to me."

Hermione drew her head away from him.

"Be honest to me, Barty. What am I to you?"

"What do you mean?" he growled, now aiming for her neck.

"Stop it!" she yelled, pushing him away again. "I mean it literally. What am I to you? Just a prisoner? A slave? A toy? Or do you actually love me? Tell me, because I honestly don't know."

At first he looked at her as if she was crazy. But he did give her an answer.

"You are my girlfriend of course," he said, raising his eyebrows. "And I am sorry to tell you that you are also still my prisoner. But that will change. Why?"

"Why?! Because you don't really act like a good boyfriend, if that is what you are to me. You are everything a lover shouldn't be! You don't listen to me!"

"I do listen to you, Hermione. Just not when it concerns things that are none of your business. I have a job to do, and you cannot influence me in any way in that. If you try, then I consider that betrayal. I do not like contradictions."

"I know that," Hermione said, letting her eyes look down to the floor. "It's just… If you love me, you should not want to hurt me by torturing people I care about."

"FINE!" he shouted. "Fine! If that shuts you up, then fine. I'll let them do chores. Lots of them. I hope they will not disrespect me in any way, because God help me, I _will_ hurt them."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Hermione smiled, hugging him tightly out of joy. It had never been her intention to show him affection out of her own free will, but it just happened. He hugged her back, and she could hear him actually laughing. A laugh more out of surprise than out of joy, but a laugh nevertheless. Then they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door of the study in the room next to them.

"It's them I suppose. Wait here, don't make any noise," Barty said.

The dining room was not protected with spells, and Barty didn't even bother to lock the door this time. Which meant that Hermione could just walk out if she wanted to. But she knew better. He would see her, and she would be in a lot of trouble when he did. Life was much easier when she was just obedient. But she couldn't help herself from listening at the door at what was happening in the office. She could hear no voices though, they had probably learned by now that they should shut up around Death Eaters.

"Well, well, boys… Attacking a Death Eater is a serious crime, you know that, don't you?" Barty's voice sounded.

There was no answer, so apparently they had just nodded.

"You will answer me when spoken to. I'll ask you again, do you know the seriousness of your crimes?"

"Yes, sir," both boys answered, although there was a light chuckle in Seamus' voice.

"What's so funny about that?" Barty asked, his voice now softer, which meant that Seamus could be in serious danger now.

"She has committed bigger crimes than we have," Seamus answered truthfully. "Sir," he quickly added.

It took a short moment before the reply to that came.

"You need to remember your place here, boy. Now, if you decide to speak up like that again, I will give you a torture that _will_ make you remember. On your knees now. Both of you."

"I only answered your question, _sir_ ," Seamus responded.

That was definitely not a very smart remark. Hermione had heard the chillingly cold tone of Barty's voice, and anything could provoke him right now. Even the slightest cheeky remark. And the mocking tone Seamus had added to the sir went absolutely not unnoticed by the Death Eater. Only a moment later, her presumptions were confirmed. She could hear a loud smack, which indicated that Seamus had been hit in the face. Hard.

"ON YOUR KNEES I SAID!" Barty bellowed.

"S-sir, before you punish us, sir, I think there is something we need to tell you," Ernie piped up.

"Oh, is that so?"

Barty's voice was normal again, but there was still a threatening edge to it. Ernie, on the contrary, sounded really afraid. And he was right to be scared.

"Yes, sir," Ernie continued, taking Barty's short response as a motivation to continue. "I was in class today, sir. Muggle Studies. Which professor Malfoy has taken over from professor Carrow during her absence. And… and we were in the middle of the lecture, discussing the material, and…"

"Get to the point, boy."

"Yes, sir. Well, professor Malfoy spoke about Muggles, and how Muggles get involved with Pureblood families, and how Purebloods allow them into their family. And then… he spoke about you, sir. In a most disrespectful way, sir. I am not sure if I want to repeat… You daughter was there too. And she hadn't said a word, she was just sitting there in silence, until professor Malfoy started talking about her as well. About her grandmother who is a Muggle, and about how she lowers the status of your family, sir. Then she spoke up, she said that she would tell you about what professor Malfoy had said, sir. But then he- he…"

"Speak up," Barty growled impatiently, clearly displeased with what he was hearing.

"Then professor Malfoy lost it. He threw her on the floor and casted the Cruciatus Curse on her. Not for long though, but he did. Because she had a big mouth, sir. That is what he said. He tortured her, and he threatened to kill her if she would mention it to you, sir. So that is why I am telling it to you for her."

That was clever. That was _really_ clever. Ernie had just drawn away the attention from him and Seamus. It was Lucius now who was in real danger. The guys were no longer important, knowing Barty, his head was now clouded with rage only meant for Lucius Malfoy. That was very clever.

"That BASTARD!" Barty roared, after which the breaking of glass sounded, presumably Barty who was throwing things in rage.

Hermione tried to peak throw the keyhole to see if her friends were still alright, but she couldn't see anything. She could only hear the angry breathing of Barty.

"Right. You two are to brush the _entire_ floor of the Great Hall, Muggle style. I want to see the blood on your hands by the time you are done. And you are not done before I say so, understood?" Barty ordered, and after a moment, he added, " _and_ you are to bring Lucius Malfoy to me. Immediately."

"Yes, sir," the two mumbled, rushing away as quickly as they could.

As soon as the door closed behind them, the door to the dining room where Hermione had been waiting flew open, revealing a truly murderous Barty. The only thing Hermione could think of at that moment, was how to calm him down. So she stood up, and she placed her hands on his tense shoulders.

"I heard, Barty, I heard what Lucius did," Hermione whispered. "You can't kill him. You can't. You have already killed Carrow, your master will get suspicious. He will not grant you a second chance. Be reasonable, please, you need to calm down."

"I'm going to do much worse than killing, believe me," he replied with a dark grin plastered on his face with eyes that were vengeful and full of hatred and insanity. "That pathetic excuse for a man is going to wish he was never born."


	35. Chapter 35

All Hermione really wanted to do, was to run away from the fury that was boiling inside Barty right now. She knew him well enough to know that he was not going to hold back for much longer. And if Lucius would appear, which he probably would within ten minutes, then Barty would maybe even repeat what he had done to Carrow. Despite of what he told her, he had no self-control. When he was in a rage, everything around him blurred and he would torture and murder everything in his way. He was insane, she had to remember that.

"Barty, please," Hermione whispered, massaging his shoulders in the hope that it would calm him down. "You don't even know if it's true. If you face Malfoy now, you might kill him. You tell me now that you won't, but I know you. You are angry, which makes you capable of anything. You need to calm down."

"Since when do you care so much about me?" Barty growled, the rage never leaving his eyes.

"You are my only protection here. And…" she couldn't finish her sentence, if she spoke the words, they might actually become reality.

"And what?"

"And…" Hermione tried again. "I- I think I do care about you. I don't want to see you dead."

"That is good to hear, pet. Seems like you are finally starting to appreciate me," Barty responded with a faint smile that didn't quite cover his coldness. "Seems like I finally convinced you. We would make a good team, you know?"

"I helped you before, with Carrow, remember? I supported you even though I did not approve of what you were going to do. I freed you from his grasp, and I gave you back your wand. I helped you then, so let me help you now," she whispered, ignoring his comment on how they would make a team. The main issue now was how to calm him down.

"I don't need help. Not from you, not from anyone. I can deal with that piece of shit by myself. I would advise you not to stand in my way," he growled in return.

"No. I won't let you. The Dark Lord won't let you get away with murdering another of his loyal followers," Hermione said, realizing too late that she had just referred to Voldemort in a way only Death Eaters usually do.

"He will when I tell him what a disgusting and unreliable waste of space we have in our midst."

"No. I said no," Hermione repeated firmly, showing determination. "You are not thinking rationally. You want revenge. But in this case, that is not a smart thing to do. Malfoy is a trusted Death Eater, and even though you might outrank him at the moment, that doesn't make you invincible. You know just as well as I do that your master is not forgiving. You will be punished, and I will be taken away from you. And I don't want that, and I am sure you don't want that either. You want to remain one of the most trusted Death Eaters. And that means that you can't murder Lucius."

"And you think you can order me around?" Barty hissed with a dangerous glint in his eyes that would have scared Hermione to death had she not known that his anger was completely directed at Lucius.

"Right now, yes. Let me help you. Let me talk to Lucius when he gets here. I will make sure that he treats Skye with respect. Trust me, it will be the best option for both our sakes," Hermione said, hoping that it was enough to convince him.

It took Barty a long moment to give a reply, but eventually he seemed to realize that Hermione had a point. So he decided to give her his permission.

"Alright. I will trust you on this. But I shall be listening to your conversation from the other room. And if I hear anything I don't like, from you or from that useless scum, I will intervene. And it will not be pretty when I do."

"Thank you," Hermione only said, knowing fully well that it was no use to go against him at this point. All she could do now was hope that Barty wouldn't have a reason to intervene. There was probably not enough reason left in him to stop himself from killing Lucius.

"I'm staying here. Go to the study," Barty ordered, pushing her away from him.

Hermione left the bedroom and closed the door behind her carefully. She sat down in the chair behind the desk, waiting for Lucius to knock on the door. She had no wand, which made her feel quite vulnerable. All she could do was hope that Lucius had enough common sense not to resort to violence, as Hermione was sure that Barty would jump in to defend her. There were only a few things Barty cared for, a few things that kept him sane, that made him capable of loving, and even though that made him only more dangerous to be around, Hermione saw it as a sign of human vulnerability that was very rare for a Death Eater. Especially for a Death Eater who was devoted to Voldemort in such an extreme capacity. The thing that worried Hermione the most, however, was that the thing Barty loved and admired most above everything else, was Voldemort himself.

A hard and confident knock on the door woke her up from her thoughts, and the door swung open without anyone even giving the permission to enter. Lucius entered the study, taken a few large steps towards the desk before realizing that it was in fact Hermione who was sitting behind the desk and not Barty.

"What are you doing here, Granger?" he asked, the confusion audible in his question.

Hermione noticed that his wand was already drawn, obviously under the expectation that Barty would be welcoming him in a furious mood.

"I am here to talk to you. Which, I suppose, can only be a relief to you. Seeing that the alternative would be much, much, worse. I am unarmed, you can put your wand away," Hermione said.

"How dare you give me orders? Where is Crouch?" Lucius demanded.

"He is not here, obviously. Stop being so suspicious. Please sit down," Hermione said, gesturing at a chair.

"Since when are you allowed to talk down to a Death Eater like this? Hasn't Crouch learned you how to show respect to your superiors? How even dare you to sit in that chair?" Lucius hissed, not sitting down.

Hermione shrugged.

"If you want to stand, fine by me. And I do show respect to my superiors. It's just that I don't exactly see how you are my superior," Hermione argued, feeling more confident than ever. She didn't know where her bravery had come from, maybe it was because she knew that Barty was listening, that he would protect her if things went wrong. Maybe she even wanted to provoke Lucius, to see what he would do. Maybe she even wanted Barty to intervene eventually, so that he could hurt the smug looking blonde man in front of her who thought he could do whatever the hell he liked.

Hermione quickly shook her head, wanting to get rid of those thoughts. She had never had such dark thoughts before, it almost scared her. Since when did she want to hurt someone so badly?

"I came to see Crouch, he has a problem with me, not you. Let him face me like a man," Lucius growled impatiently.

"Oh, you don't want him to come here. You have made him very angry, you know? You hurt the one person he actually cares for."

"He hurt my son. That pathetic little coward should stop being such a child and deal with it. I do not tolerate insolence from my students, and I make no exclusions. Now tell me where that prick is hiding, or I'll get it out of you in less pleasant ways," Lucius threatened.

"I wouldn't do that either," Hermione said quickly, before he could hex her. "He can hear us. Besides, Draco is a Death Eater, who can get punished for failing his tasks or for disobedience. Skye is a student who does not even possess adequate magical skills."

"Student get punished for disobedience as well, as Crouch has made clear himself during his tenure as Headmaster. How can he hear us? Is he in this room?"

Hermione shook her head.

"He is not," she answered. After a short silence, she decided to continue. "You should be more careful. You know that the Dark Lord thinks very high of Mr. Crouch. If Mr. Crouch were to go to the Dark Lord with the information of you not being loyal enough, or you trying to sabotage the Dark Lord's plans in any way, for example, you could be in a lot of trouble."

"The Dark Lord does not just take someone's word as proof. Certainly not a word against one of his most loyal and powerful followers."

"I would advise you to stay away from Skye, if you know what is good for you."

That was the wrong choice of words, as Lucius drew his wand and pointed it at Hermione with a furious look on his face.

"I have had enough of your rudeness. I don't care if you are part of a plan, I can still hurt you really bad," Lucius growled. "Tell me where Crouch is before I make you bleed."

"I am trying to warn you, that's all," Hermione said, putting her hands in the air. "You cannot hurt his daughter unpunished. You should feel lucky to be given this second chance."

"And he is allowed to hurt my son?!" Lucius nearly shouted, clearly outraged. "Let that little bastard face me so that I can punish him for his arrogant presumptions. You really think you are something, don't you, Crouch?! Come here and face me, if you dare. NOW!"

"I don't think he takes orders from scum like you," Hermione grinned.

"ENOUGH!" Lucius bellowed, raising his wand and quickly firing a hex at Hermione, who found herself against the wall the next instant. A nasty sting followed in her stomach, indicating that Lucius had used the Diffindo spell on her to leave a deep cut in her flesh. Just when she started to wonder when Barty would come out to help her, she heard a loud bang.

When she looked up, she saw Barty dueling with Lucius. It didn't take long for Barty however to get the upper hand, due to the pure rage he was fighting with. When he had Lucius on the floor and his wand pressed against his throat, there wasn't the same look Barty normally had. It wasn't the same as with Amycus or other people he had fought. There was no indication that Barty wanted to murder or torture his opponent at this point, Hermione would recognize that face definitely. This was something else.

"You are not allowed to touch her," he growled.

"Feeling a bit protective, Crouch? What is it, are you jealous?" Lucius sneered.

"You don't get to touch her," Barty only repeated, pressing his wand even harder against Lucius's throat. "You know, you just gave me the best idea… I might just go after your son if you don't apologize right now."

"I even have a better idea. You let me go and I will tell you what I know about Potter," Lucius said, knowing that he had just taken back control over the conversation. Because if there was anything Barty had interest in, then it was Harry. Hermione listened intently, wanting to hear everything.

"Tell me what you know," Barty said a bit too eagerly, letting go of Lucius immediately. Though his wand never left his side.

"First of all, Granger over there is going to apologize for talking to a Pureblood in the way she did," Lucius demanded, straightening up again.

Hermione looked at Barty, half expecting him to cover for her, to tell Lucius that she had every right to speak up like that, but he merely nodded with a stone face, ordering her with a subtle gesture that she had to do as Lucius said.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

When she tried to stand up, her stomach hurt so much that she had to stay on the floor. No one seemed to be paying attention to her anymore, least of all Barty.

"Now tell me. What do you know?" Barty snapped.

"Well, Potter has been seen in Hogsmeade. Together with the Weasley boy. Which means that they are close to Hogwarts and maybe they are even planning on entering Hogwarts in order to save their little friend here."

"Maybe they are already here," Barty smirked. "Interesting…"

Hermione's heart sunk. If Harry and Ron were really in Hogwarts, then they would be stupid enough to go looking for her. And that would mean that they would definitely get caught by the Death Eaters.

"You're going to find them. Take some people you can trust with you. Let the Goyle boy help you. I don't care who you hire for the job, but I want the two boys brought to me unharmed. I don't want to see one scratch on their bodies. They are to be brought to me completely intact. Is that understood?" Barty demanded, staring Lucius in the eyes.

"For the last time, Crouch, you are not my boss. If I find Potter and Weasley, then I will bring them to the Dark Lord myself, I won't let you take credit for it this time. If you want to be the one to take them in so badly, then I suggest you get your hands dirty yourself for once. And don't think I will hold back on those little rebels, you are not the only one with the right to torture them if necessary," Lucius hissed in return, and he quickly grabbed his wand back. "If you really think you are so much better and so much more powerful than the rest of us, then you should prove it by finding Potter first. We shall see."

With that, Lucius turned around and slammed the door behind him. It took a couple of moments before Barty moved again, and Hermione dared not to speak first. She didn't know what his mood was right now. When he slowly turned around to look at her, his eyes widened slightly.

"You're hurt," he stated. "The bastard hurt you."

Hermione looked down and she noticed that she was indeed bleeding rather heavily. The wound must be so deep that she didn't even feel it anymore. But Barty waved his wand over her wound and she saw the blood drying up immediately.

"I need to find Potter first. If he was seen in Hogsmeade, then there is no doubt that he has already found his way into the castle. He is looking for Horcruxes. You need to tell me, Hermione, where is he hiding himself? I can't have Malfoy taking credit for finding the boy," Barty demanded.

"I-I don't know," Hermione answered truthfully, although she had the feeling that Harry would be in the Room of Requirements, which would be the safest place for him at the moment.

"I think you do know," Barty hissed. "Look, if you help me, then Weasley stays alive. If Malfoy finds him, then the blood traitor will definitely die. Nobody cares about that ginger. Plus, I will take Potter in without torturing him, I promise you. He won't feel pain. They will be found, if not by me, then by other Death Eaters. The whole castle is guarded. And Malfoy is undoubtedly bringing others in to help him with the search."

"You're asking me to help you killing my best friend."

"And your other best friend will stay alive."

"I don't trust you."

"Oh, come on, you know that I am a man of my word, darling," he growled. "You've got to help me. They trust you. They will believe anything you say. If they really have a map, then they will know where you are. If they see that you are alone, they will come for you. They will be trying to save you. And then all you have to do is lead them to me. We can take them in quietly and peacefully. Without using violence."

"And what if I don't?"

"Then I shall be forced to go looking for Potter and Weasley by myself. And everyone who stands in my way, even if they are students, will regret it. And… since I have the feeling that they will be hiding in that hidden room you and your Longbottom idiot have been talking about, I will start there. And I will rip the place apart, and I will torture anyone who is even remotely connected to Potter and his friend."

He took a little pause before continuing to take in Hermione's reaction.

"I am right, am I not? You think they will be hiding there too. And let me tell you, if you don't help me, I shall kill Weasley as well. The only risk for me is that my method will be a lot less subtle, I'd rather get my hands on Potter without anyone noticing. Otherwise Malfoy could still take credit for it. So… are you going to help me or not?"

Hermione nodded. If Ron and Harry would find her, they would be alone. She could warn them to go away, to leave Hogwarts and to get backup. They could contact the Order and let them help. The three of them wouldn't win a battle with a Death Eater when she didn't even have her wand.

"Don't get any ideas, girl. I'm not stupid. If you warn them, I shall know. I will mark you with a tracking spell so that I can know where you are and what you are saying to them. They can't apparate out of the castle, and they can't use any fireplaces. They can't escape. Not quick enough. I will be at your side within less than a second if something goes wrong. Call for me when you are seen by someone else then Potter and Weasley and I will come for you. If you leave your place without having spoken to Potter and Weasley first, I will come for you too. Don't play games with me Hermione, not now that we are finally building some trust here. I would be very disappointed if you decided to betray me now. Very disappointed."

Hermione swallowed. Not much chance to try anything then. He would hear her if she tried to warn Harry and Ron. He would apparate the moment she tried anything, something she couldn't risk. He had been very clear about what would happen if she did. He would kill Ron, he would torture Harry, he would most likely torture her as well, and he would punish anyone who would stand in his way. If she lost Barty's trust, she wouldn't get out of this situation alive. She wouldn't be safe anymore. And neither would Harry and Ron be. She had to play this game according to Barty's rules again, at least she could save Ron that way. She had to trust Barty on his word. And maybe, she could influence Barty enough to save Harry as well. If he really cared for her.

* * *

 **I'm back again :) A bit late, but better late than never right? Next chapter Harry and Ron are coming in the story!**

 **Things are reaaaally not getting easier for Hermione :'( Poor Hermione. Hopefully she can reason with Barty and find a way to save both Ron and Harry...**

 **See you next chapter! X**


	36. Chapter 36

**Sorry it took me so long (again).. But here you go, another chapter :)**

* * *

Hiding in the empty classroom on the fifth flour, Hermione was going through her options. But not one option seemed to be a good choice. She could make Harry and Ron run away, they could try to escape, but as Barty has told her, there was no way out for them. Even secret passages would be guarded by Death Eaters. The only way out would be the same way they got in, which Hermione suspected to be in the Room of Requirements. She was not stupid. That room was the only room she knew about that was not to be found on any map of Hogwarts. The only possible secret passage would be there. The only problem was, Barty wasn't stupid either. The Room of Requirements would be the first place he would destroy, killing everyone in his way. So if she would let Ron and Harry run, her friends hiding in the Room of Requirements would get hurt, and Harry and Ron might get caught too. And she would receive a painful torture herself, if not death. The only rational option seemed to be to lead Harry and Ron back to Barty's office without being seen by anyone. She trusted Barty in his promise to let Ron live. At least Ron would stay alive that way. And maybe she could even persuade him to not hand over Harry to his master. Barty was insanely loyal to his master, she knew that like no other, but it was worth the try. It was a strange thought, but Barty seemed to be her only hope in the whole situation. There was no way she could warn someone from the Order. Barty would notice immediately when she would lead Harry and Ron to McGonagall's office. He was tracking her, he knew exactly where she was. And one toe out of line, and he would come for her.

All she could do was wait. And hope that Ron and Harry wouldn't come for her. If they stayed away, if they would stay hidden, then at least she wouldn't be to blame. She wouldn't have to feel guilty. But then again, maybe Barty would actually rip the place apart, maybe more of her friends would die. Maybe he would kill Ron too in his frustration.

She started crying silently. There was no easy way out of this. She was just a pawn, powerless in the game. Suddenly she jumped up when she heard quick footsteps approaching and a door slamming close. She rubbed away the tears from her eyes to see clearly. They were actually there. They had come for her.

"Ron, Harry," she whispered, trying to stop herself from crying again, now out of joy and relief. "It's been so long!"

She ran towards them, embracing the two guys both at the same time.

"We don't have much time," she said, still quietly, afraid that someone would hear them.

"Hermione," Ron said, grabbing both her arms. "What happened? Did you escape? We saw you were being locked up by Crouch. What did he do to you? Did he hurt you? Are you alright?"

"Ssssh," she hissed. "We need to be quiet. Death Eaters are looking for you. I'm fine, Ron, I'm fine. How are you?"

"We destroyed two other Horcruxes," Harry smiled at her. "We suspect that there must be one of the house of Ravenclaw as well. We need to find it h-"

"Shut up, Harry, _shut up_ ," Hermione shushed him. "They can hear us. I-"

She swallowed her words, debating if she should tell them.

"What? What's wrong?" Ron asked.

"He can hear us. Barty. Crouch. The Death Eater who has kept me locked up all that time. He is tracking me. He can hear every word we say. He wants me to bring you to him," Hermione said quietly.

"What?!" Harry said a bit too loudly. "Then we need to hurry! We need to escape, if we are quick…"

" _No_ , Harry, he knows where we are. He can apparate. He will be here within a second. He will torture us, and you will both be killed. If I return without you, he will destroy the entire Room of Requirements, including the people inside. We- I- I have made a deal with him," Hermione confessed.

"Is he influencing you?" Harry asked. "Are you under the Imperius Curse?"

"No, I'm not. Let me explain. He wants you, Harry. He wants to bring you to the Dark Lord. But he will not torture you, and he will not kill Ron. That is the deal I have made. If other Death Eaters find you, Ron will definitely get killed. There is no way out of this, Harry, there isn't!" she started crying again. "I don't want either of you to die!"

"Shh, it's alright. You are not to blame for this. It is our fault that we have come to Hogwarts. At least you are safe," Harry said. "Lead us to Crouch."

Hermione looked up and she saw that both Harry and Ron had drawn their wands and they nodded at her. It was a dangerous plan, trying to attack Barty. He would probably already expect them to be armed. But Hermione couldn't warn them now. She just had to make sure she would get back before the tracking spell wore off.

"Come on," Hermione said. "Follow me closely and stay quiet."

The closer they came to the office, the more nervous she became. She had only just gotten her friends back, and she was risking to lose them again within a couple of minutes. If Harry and Ron would succeed in overpowering Barty, then they would be able to escape. They could use the fireplace. But surely Barty wouldn't be so stupid that he wouldn't expect them to try and curse him. He would be prepared. He would unarm them before they could even raise their wands.

When they finally reached the door without being seen by anyone else, Hermione was sweating and shaking heavily. She was so afraid. She trusted Barty enough to know that he wouldn't hurt Harry and Ron, but if he got his way, then Harry would die eventually. He had almost killed him before in their fourth year if it wasn't for Dumbledore. Why would he spare him this time?

Hermione knocked on the door, but she didn't get any response. He couldn't be out. Why was he ignoring them? She knocked again. When there was still no response, she pushed open the door herself, the two guys following her with raised wands. But as soon as they were inside, she heard a noise behind her and the sound of two wands falling on the floor. When Hermione turned around, she saw Barty standing behind Ron and Harry, who were now wandless, his own wand pressed against Ron's neck.

"Why would you need your wands in here, boys?" he asked while shutting the door behind him. "I am not planning on hurting you. Sit down."

He pushed Ron away from him, towards one of the chairs near the fireplace. When Ron hesitantly did as he was asked, Harry followed him and sat down as well. Barty looked rather pleased with himself.

"Finally," he smiled. " _Finally_. Thank you for this, darling."

"What did you call her?" Ron growled, not bothering to hide his jealousy.

Barty rested his cold stare on Ron for a couple of seconds which made the entire room feel colder.

"I called her darling. And I think even someone as stupid as you can guess why," he answered dryly.

"What, do you love her?" Ron snorted. "You?"

But that was a wrong thing to say. The Death Eater did not like to be mocked, and he certainly wouldn't let Ron get away with talking to him like that without making sure he knew his place. Within a second, Barty was in front of Ron and he bowed down to talk close to his ear.

"It took me some time to get used to her, but she is the most _amusing_ company," he hissed with as much hate in his voice as he could muster. "She is mine now, for as long as the Dark Lord will allow it, and if I only see you looking at her in a way I don't like, you'll regret it. I never particularly liked you, boy, so you should thank me on your bare knees if you get out of here alive."

"You already made a deal. You already promised to let me go," Ron scoffed. "And you will let me leave with Harry and Hermione."

Barty raised to his full height again, and he raised one eyebrow.

"Do you honestly think I won't change my mind? You either behave, or you will die. Your choice."

"Barty…" Hermione started, grabbing his arm. "Please, let them live, please, I'll do anything."

"Do you still love him?" he growled instead of responding to her request.

When she didn't answer, he shrugged his arm out of her grasp.

"Well? Do you?" he asked again, now with an even more dangerous edge to his tone. "ANSWER ME!"

"I- I- wh- what do you want to hear?"

"The truth."

"He's my friend. Of course I love him.

"Smart girl," he grinned. "But you know that is not what I meant."

"Y-you can't kill him. You p-promised…"

"Prove to me that you're mine and mine alone and I'll spare his life."

"And what about Harry?"

He narrowed his eyes when she asked him that, and her heart started to race. He had been clear about Harry, they had made a deal.

"I won't let him go. You know that."

"Please, please let him leave here, take someone else, force them to drink a Polyjuice Potion, I don't care. Just don't give him to the Dark Lord," Hermione whimpered.

"The Dark Lord? Merlin, Hermione, he really messed with your head, didn't he?" Ron said, glaring at Barty.

That was when Barty drew his wand and aimed it at the red-haired young man. His face looked absolutely manic, and his tongue flicked for a moment.

"Wasn't I clear enough?" Barty growled, pressing the wand against Ron's throat.

"Barty! Stop!" Hermione shouted alarmed.

"He's had enough warnings," Barty rasped. " _Cr-_ "

"STOP!" Harry now shouted. "I will come with you to face Voldemort, but you will let my friends go unharmed. Ron _and_ Hermione."

Barty scoffed at that.

"Hermione _wants_ to stay with me, don't you?" he said to Hermione. When she didn't reply immediately, he grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear so that the other two couldn't hear him. "It's you or them. If you choose to leave me, all of your friends will die. If you choose to stay, I can guarantee your safety and that of your friends. As soon as the Dark Lord wins, no one would even dare to think about touching you."

"I don't want Harry to die," she whispered.

"You'll get over it. Sometimes sacrifices need to be made. We will turn the boy in, and everything will be over, the _war_ will be over. We'll become powerful. I'll help you survive this, if you stop crossing my way right now."

His words became a little more harsh and threatening at the end, but Hermione believed him. She wanted nothing more than to stop the war. And she didn't have much of a choice here. She could either help Barty and turn her friend in, or she could try and fight the Death Eater and get herself killed together with Ron and Harry. Even though it seemed like Barty was showing her some affection, he would not let anything get between him and his master. He could still easily kill all three of them, including her friends who had been in the resistance. If they wouldn't join the dark side, they would all be killed as well. Maybe, if she just did what she was asked now, she could save the rest. Barty would keep the rest of her friends at Hogwarts alive. There was no reason for Voldemort to attack the castle himself, making Barty the best chance at offering her friends protection.

"I'll stay. And I won't stand in your way," Hermione answered, feeling a lump in her throat.

"What?! Are you serious?" Ron yelled. "Tell me you are joking!"

Hermione shook her head.

"I am serious. I am only trying to save as many people as possible."

"You disgust me," Ron growled. "Honestly, Hermione, I don't know you anymore. You might as well become a Death Eater yourself. You probably even _slept_ with that piece of scum."

"Ron!" Hermione said shocked, knowing what would happen next.

But before she could stop it, Barty had already backhanded Ron, who was now lying on the floor, blood flowing from his lip.

"You are making it very hard for me to keep you alive. You should be happy that Hermione is choosing my side, you know? You would have been dead already if she chose to walk away. You would have been tortured and dead, and your friends who are currently hiding away in that secret room on the seventh floor. Now… the next time you open your bloody mouth, make sure you think twice before talking, or that entire seventh floor might get wiped out. And I'll make you watch, don't you worry," Barty said coldly before returning his attention back to Potter. "I don't want any funny tricks here. You'll come with me, and you'll do it quietly. Or else your ginger and all the others won't survive it. Understood?"

Harry only nodded. Hermione admired him for his strength, he was always prepared to throw his own life in danger in order to save the many. And that was what he was doing now. He knew he would die, and he didn't even fight it.

"Come on then, grab my arm, all of you," Barty ordered.

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 **Well, looks like Harry is going to die. Or is he?**


	37. Chapter 37

**Heeeey everybody! Here is another chapter! I am hoping to place the next one a bit sooner :) Leave me a review if you like the fic so far! Or leave me a review if you don't ^^**

 **Enjoy the chapter :) XX**

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Barty was behaving as if he had to personally welcome the queen into his house. Obviously he wanted to invite his master in his own house, because he didn't want any other Death Eaters to be present. But as a result, everyone had to be ready and everything had to be perfect. Even Skye's grandparents had to be there, as Barty felt the need to introduce them to Voldemort. Harry and Ron were not allowed to move at all. They had to sit down at the large table in the living room and were ordered not to move a muscle. When Barty had finally informed everyone about what was going to happen and what everyone was supposed to do or not to do, he turned his attention to the two boys who were silently waiting at the table. First, he addressed Ron.

"You can leave. Now," he growled impatiently. "Apparate to somewhere far away from here and I shall pretend you were never here. It is the only lie I will tell today. If I see you again, I will make you regret the day you were born."

Ron glowered at Barty, but he was wise enough not to say anything. It was clear that he was having a hard time keeping his mouth shut, but he was smart enough not to provoke the only man in the room who had a wand on him. So he left quietly, leaving his best friends behind, unable to do anything about it.

"Now… For the rest of you. You will sit down and you will not speak unless you are spoken to. When the Dark Lord arrives, I expect you to kneel. And you will remain kneeled until the Dark Lord gives you permission to stand. Am I understood?"

Everyone nodded quickly. They sat down at the table, and Hermione could almost feel the nervousness of the others. Harry was staying strong, or pretending to be, but it was clear that he was afraid of what was coming. The Dawsons were especially frightened, even more than usual. And Hermione had the feeling that they were right to be frightened, Voldemort was not very accepting towards Muggles. Not towards Muggle borns either, now that she thought of it. Though she had the feeling that Barty would try to protect her.

When they all sat down, except for Barty, Barty rolled up his sleeve and held his underarm stretched out in front of him, his wand hovering above the Dark mark on his arm. He took a deep breath, and then he pressed his wand firmly against his arm. The next moment, a figure appeared, clouded in dark smoke. A figure with a skin as white as a sheet and red, evil, snake-like eyes that froze your heart when you looked at them. That was not the case for Barty, however. A smile of pure joy appeared on Barty's face, his eyes lit up in a way Hermione had never seen before on him. Almost immediately, Barty sank down on one knee and he bowed his head.

"My Lord," he said, his voice full of awe and glee.

The rest of the room, including Hermione, quickly stood up and followed Barty's example, kneeling down for the man who had just appeared. Everyone, except for Harry. He was not showing one sign of deference. Hermione understood why, he was most likely about to die, and he was not going to die a coward. Hermione, on the other hand, knew that she would get punished if she did not do what was expected from her. Either by the hand of Voldemort or by the hand of Barty. So she showed her respect, even though she had none.

"Arise, Barty, my faithful," Voldemort said softly.

Barty quickly stood up, muttering a polite welcome to his master.

"I see you have brought me Harry Potter. I must admit, I did not expect this. Though I should have known that you would be the one to deliver me Potter. Well done, Barty, well done," Voldemort praised his servant.

Barty grew even happier, if that was even possible.

"Thank you, my Lord," he said.

"How is your daughter? Is she not causing you any trouble?" Voldemort asked.

"No, my Lord. She is doing great. I am going to teach her everything I know. She will be useful to us. My Lord, may I introduce you, her grandparents," Barty said, gesturing towards the elderly couple that was still kneeling down.

"Ah, yes. You told me about them. A Muggle and a Halfblood, aren't they? Well, well… Are they obedient?"

"Yes, my Lord. Very much so. As they should be. They know their place."

"I doubt that, my dear Barty. I doubt that very much. Look at the Muggle, she is not _nearly_ afraid enough. I don't see her trembling," Voldemort said, taking a few steps towards the old woman. "Tell me, Muggle, are you grateful for Barty's kindness?"

"Y-yes, my L-lord," she stammered, not daring to look up.

"Are you obedient?"

"Y-yes, my Lord," she repeated, audibly fighting back her tears.

"Good… Because a Muggle like you is beneath a Pureblood like Barty. You should thank him on your bare knees for allowing you inside his house. You can stay on the floor for now," Voldemort ordered.

Then he turned towards Hermione.

"If it isn't our dear Miss Granger," he said with a voice that made her skin crawl. "I hope she is obedient as well, Barty."

"She is, my Lord, she helped me capturing Potter, actually," Barty said. "She is quite a brave and loyal thing, and she is learning to be loyal to the right people. Ain't that right, Hermione?" Barty asked.

Hermione only nodded in response.

"Is that so? You helped Barty?" Voldemort asked.

"Yes… I did, _my Lord_ ," Hermione said with difficulty.

Voldemort looked rather pleased with that, and Barty looked almost proudly.

"My Lord, if… If it is not too much to ask… I would like to keep the girl. For now. She is very entertaining, and she is learning to be loyal to us. If will dispose of her the moment she causes trouble, of course, but… I would like to have her around for now, my Lord. With your permission," Barty said carefully, bowing his head slightly.

"Are you sure, Barty? She is a Mudblood, after all… You could get every girl in the entire world, every _Pureblood_ girl, and you choose to feel attached to this one? I cannot see I am pleased with that, but I will not deny you anything either. You are my most faithful servant, and you will be rewarded for that. I can see why you like her… She is strong, smart, really powerful for someone with her blood status. You may keep her."

"Thank you, my Lord. She will not disappoint you," Barty bowed.

"I hope she will not disappoint _you_. She should be grateful to you for keeping her. Without you she would have been dead. You can make her powerful beyond belief. I hope she realizes that."

"She does, my Lord. I will make sure of that," Barty said firmly.

"Good. Then… Finally… Mister Potter," Voldemort said triumphantly. "After all this time. Yet, I still win. All your fight, all in vain…"

"It was not in vain," Harry snapped. "I will never bow for you, and there are millions of others who will follow my example."

Voldemort chuckled.

"I don't think so, boy," he said. "I will make an example of you. You, the beacon of _hope_ for so many weak individuals. When they see you dead, when they know that I have killed you, no one will doubt my power any longer. The Order will be hunted down. Hogwarts will be in my power. The Ministry will be mine. _Everyone_ will bow before me."

"As long as there's hope, you will never win," Harry growled.

"Ah, but that's the point. All their hope will be gone. Dumbledore, the Order, and _you_. The boy who lived. I shall make an example of you. I will kill you in front of the press, so that there will be no doubt to my power and reign," Voldemort said. "I will take you to the Ministry."

"I will come with you on one condition. You will not hurt my friends," Harry demanded.

"You have no choice but to come with me," Voldemort said. " _But_ , I am willing to grant you this last wish. If your friends don't decide to cause me any trouble, of course."

"They won't," Harry said, but with a defiant look in his eyes.

"As soon as the boy is dead," Voldemort continued, again talking to Barty, "you shall be rewarded beyond belief. My most faithful, my most powerful, you will become my second, together with Bellatrix. I shall give you land, and the full power over Hogwarts. You are allowed to kill or torture anyone who refuses to show you deference besides myself and my most trusted Death Eaters."

"Thank you, my Lord, I will not disappoint you," Barty said gratefully.

"I would like to talk with you about some more practical business, now that I am here. The rest can leave, except for Potter. Do you have some Firewhiskey by any chance?" Voldemort asked.

"Of course, my Lord," Barty replied, offering his master a seat at the table. "Please sit down, master. WINKY!"

Winky appeared within a second, bowing deeply.

"What can Winky do for master?" she asked.

"Give us three Firewhiskeys. I think Potter can use one too. And make it quick, please, Winky, we do not have all day," Barty ordered.

"Right away, master Barty," Winky bowed before leaving again.

"And you are dismissed," Barty said to the Dawson couple who was still kneeling on the floor. "Go to the kitchen and stay there. And you, Hermione, you can go to your bedroom."

Hermione stood up quickly, not bothering to look at Voldemort again. She did give Harry one last look, however, and with a face full of regret she left the room. There was nothing she could do about this anymore. At least she had managed to keep Ron safe, that was something. She quickly ran up the stairs, ready to jump inside her bed and cry. But that was not going to happen. Because when she entered her room, there was already sitting someone on the edge of her bed. It was Ron.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed with surprise. "I thought you left!"

"And I came back," he grinned.

"How did you even get in here? Barty locked everything."

"Not everything. I found a shovel outside, and I could smash the window in the study. Then I found your room. At least, I assumed this was your room, it was the only room where I found female clothes," Ron shrugged. "I'm here to get you out."

Hermione shook her head.

"Please, Ron, you should bring yourself to safety. I-I don't know what he will do if he finds out that you were here. And I can't leave, he has used Dark Magic… The house won't let me leave. Not without him. I am not even sure anymore if I _want_ to leave, to be honest. He cares for me, he'll go berserk if he finds out I left him. We are building trust," Hermione confessed.

"He _brainwashed_ you, Hermione. You just don't see it. But he did. You think you love him, but you don't. He is a Death Eater. He has as good as killed Harry. Our best friend. You don't do that to someone you love. Come with me," Ron said again.

"You- you don't understand. And I _can't_ leave. He'll know. He'll kill you. Please, I am only trying to warn you, to protect you," Hermione whispered.

"You weren't trying to protect Harry, were you?!" Ron snapped. "Now come with me, or I'll have to force you. There is no way I'll leave without you."

"If he finds you…"

"He won't. But that is why we have to leave _now_."

"I don't want to leave, Ronald! I don't want to! I have to help him, I have to make sure he doesn't kill our friends! Our family! We have an agreement. And as long as I am with him, he will not hurt my friends. They will be protected. Barty has promised me."

" _Crouch_ isn't a good man. He is only using you. He will throw you away like trash as soon as he finds some pretty Pureblood girl to play around with. He only likes to see you break, which is _exactly_ what he has done with you. This is not who you are!" Ron said firmly.

"He is not using me. He is protecting me. He has even asked the Dark Lord if he could keep me. You don't know him like I do. He is not a good man, I know that, but from his perspective, he is doing the right thing. And if you _dare_ taking me away against my will, then you are the one who is wrong," Hermione snapped. "Now leave and make sure you stay away. Stay safe."

Ron stood up, but he didn't leave.

"How- How can I persuade you…" he asked hopelessly.

"You can't. I don't want you to be in any danger, Ron. I love you too much for that."

"And you love Crouch more? Is that it? Is that what you are saying?" he argued.

"I- I don't know. Maybe. I don't know. It's confusing. All I know is that he will be back _any_ second from now on, and when he finds you, he will not let you live."

Hermione pushed him away from her gently, hoping that he would finally leave her. She honestly didn't know what she felt anymore, but she wasn't going to risk any more lives by trying to escape. If that were even possible. Of course, there was a chance that Barty had not put up the defensive spells that kept her locked in, but she couldn't be sure. And she couldn't risk it either. But Ron didn't leave, instead, he only took a step closer and he kissed her on the lips.

"I'm not leaving without you, 'Mione, I love you," he murmured, deepening the kiss. "I won't leave you behind with that monster… Please…"

Hermione could only kiss him back. She made no attempt to push him away from her. Even though she didn't agree with what he said. Because Barty was no monster, not to her anymore. He had been kind to her lately. He was really trying. But being in Ron's arms… It felt so good. It felt safe. Even though they really weren't safe. But she completely forgot that they were in Crouch Manor, with the possibility of Barty entering the room at any time. They were both in some sort of trance, completely disappearing in the moment, in each other. The next moment, they were on the bed together, kissing each other roughly and tugging at each other's clothes.

It was only when the door of the room opened that Hermione woke up from her trance. Her heart that had been beating with excitement, was now beating with fear.


	38. Chapter 38

**See how quick I am this time with uploading! :D The next one won't be so soon, sadly... I've got a busy period ahead :'(**

 **Xx love you! Thank you for reading :)**

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Barty stood in the door opening, his eyes fixed on the couple on the bed. And he did not look happy. Quite the opposite, he looked truly murderous. The look in his eyes frightened Hermione, and the only thing she could now think of was protecting Ron. She sat in front of him and kept him behind her back. Barty opened his mouth, but he closed it again without saying anything. Hermione waited patiently for him to say something first, not wanting to provoke him any further.

"Explain yourself," Barty finally growled after what seemed like ages.

"H-he was only t-trying t-to help me," Hermione stuttered nervously. "P-please, Barty… please c-calm d-down."

"Let him go. _Now_ ," Barty hissed venomously.

Hermione quickly removed her arms from Ron's body and she jumped off the bed towards Barty.

"Please let him leave, please, he won't return, I-I'll do anything," Hermione begged, her hands on his chest.

"You have deceived me… Pretending that you care for me? And the next moment I find you shagging this blood traitor in my own house? _He_ has had his chance… I've warned him…" Barty growled, pushing Hermione away from him and taking his wand out to aim it at Ron.

"I kissed her! It is not fair to blame her, it was me! Don't punish her for this," Ron said bravely, but he still cowered back from the wand that was pointed at him. "I only wanted to save her from _you_."

"SHUT UP! SHUT. UP!" Barty yelled with wide eyes. "STAND UP!"

Ron quickly did what was asked from him and he got out of the bed.

"You disgusting boy. You do not get to touch _my_ Hermione. She is _mine_. Do I have to prove it to you?" Barty hissed.

He turned towards Hermione and he kissed her roughly on the mouth, slamming her body against the wall. Again, she did not resist as he ravaged her mouth. If there was any chance to keep Ron alive, which was a very small chance, then this was it.

"I am yours, Barty," she whispered against his lips. "Send Ron away, let him go unharmed, and I'll show you…"

He chuckled in a chilling way.

"He is not getting away with this. I am a man of my word, remember?" he grinned, letting her go again before turning back towards Ron. "She won't have to see the things I am going to do to you. She won't have to hear you screaming as you die from pain. I have no wish to hurt Hermione. You, on the other hand… Oh, you are going to feel so much pain…"

"No, no, please, please, let him go," Hermione pleaded.

"Relax, darling, you won't have to witness this. And I won't punish you for this. I'll be back before you know it, and then you can show me that you are mine. We can celebrate our victory," Barty said.

"Leave it, 'Mione… It's my own fault. I didn't listen," Ron said.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL HER?" Barty bellowed, his hand now wrapping around the young man's neck and throwing him against the wall.

"I- called her- 'Mione," Ron repeated with difficulty.

"You do not get to pet-name _my_ Hermione, understood?!" Barty hissed, his eyes spitting fire and his tongue darting out of his mouth manically.

When Ron only coughed in response and started to look purple, Barty grabbed his hair and released his throat, starting to drag him out of the room.

"We are leaving," he told Hermione. "Don't you _dare_ try and escape, and be ready for me when I return."

Hermione followed Barty outside the room, where he threw Ron off the stairs.

"Stay in your room!" Barty ordered her when she shrieked when Ron fell off the stairs violently.

She quickly did as she was told, and she went back to her room. When she heard a loud bang from outside, she knew that Barty had apparated together with Ron. She had lost a friend again. She couldn't save him either. Maybe she had to get used to this feeling. She was alone. All she had was Barty now. Her parents were probably far away from her, out of the Death Eaters' reach. The Order would be hunted down and slaughtered. Her friends at Hogwarts would leave the castle as well as soon as they found out that Harry was gone. Maybe she should just get used to it. No more tears from now on. She could get used to living with Barty, he was the only one left for her. She could make life at Hogwarts for the students perhaps more bearable. She could try and influence Barty slightly. Without her he would be so much worse, she was certain of that.

Hermione lay down on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. It was no use to cry over Ron or Harry, they were gone. They were lost. The Dark Side had won and she just had to accept that. She could only be thankful that she had one man that would still protect her, given her blood status. Barty was more and more looking like a savior to her. Without him, she would have been dead a long time ago. It didn't matter anymore that he was evil, that he was insane, that he was violent and unpredictable, he was all she knew from now on. Her only chance of survival. If that would make her insane as well, then so be it.

It took Barty almost two hours to return to the manor. But when he entered the bedroom finally, he had a small box in his hand as well.

"I brought you something," was the first thing he said to her, as he gave her the box. Then he whispered in her ear: "to make it up to you."

"I wish you didn't have to make it up to me. But… thank you. That is- kind. I suppose," Hermione said, accepting the small box rather politely.

"It's over now, darling. It's all over. No more fighting. No more hiding. We can go out, in public, if you'd like," Barty said to her. "I don't want you to mention those friends of yours anymore, you've got me now. I'm all yours. And you're mine."

Hermione didn't respond to that. She just fumbled with the wrapping paper around the box and she opened it carefully. There was a pair of silver earrings in the box, two rather expensive looking earrings.

"And I would like to take you to Diagon Alley to find a dress that can go with them," Barty added, without even waiting for a thanks from her.

"I- without… without Polyjuice?" Hermione asked.

She was surprised that there was so little argument coming from her. The man in front of her, the same man who was offering her presents, had fresh blood on his hands. The blood of one of her best friends. And she didn't even confront him with it. Not that it would be of any use to argue with the Death Eater, but usually she would try. Now, all she had done was accepting his presents and ask questions she already knew the answer to. She had given up the fight. Barty only nodded in a reply to her question, the man she had grown to like in some way, the same man who had tortured her several times and hurt her. She felt like she was starting to go insane. Just like him.

"I love you," he suddenly said, out of the blue.

It was the first time that he had said that. He had been very protective about her, and he would be very jealous when other men would look at her, but he had never actually told her that he _loved_ her.

"Tell me you love me," he continued when she didn't response.

All she could do was stare at him, her mouth slightly open from surprise.

"Say. You. Love. Me," he repeated impatiently. "Damnit, Hermione. Say something."

"I-I…" she stammered, slightly intimidated by his impatience. "I haven't really thought about it… I never thought you… I only thought I was just interesting to you. Not… you know…"

"You _assumed_ that Death Eaters are emotionless. That's what you thought. You just assumed that we have no feelings. You just thought I am insane, beyond redemption, a nutcase, a murderer. Evil. I swear… if you don't tell me you love me… I'll lose it. So give me an answer, _now_ ," Barty demanded, the wild look returning to his eyes where they were softer before.

"You can't give me any time to think, can you?" Hermione said irritated. "Fine. I think… the moments where you didn't threaten me, hurt me, torture me, call me names, rape me, and so on… I have grown to like you. And that has only been the last couple of weeks. In which I have supported you, in which you have protected me and treated me well… I care for you. Even now, after what you have done, I don't feel any anger, or sadness. You _saved_ me. From the Dark Lord."

"And?" Barty pressed.

"Yes. I love you too," Hermione said determined.

He didn't respond to that with words. But his manic eyes softened once more, and a sly smile appeared on his face. Then, without any warning, he wrapped his arms around her waist and started kissing her roughly, pressing her against the wall with force. And Hermione couldn't deny that she liked it. She even loved it. He was hers now. He was all she had left from now on. And even though he is insane, he was still really attractive, attractive and powerful.

"I want to… take you to… Diagon Alley," he murmured between his kisses. "Show you… to… everyone."

Hermione only giggled, in a way she had never done before. She never giggled. She wasn't a girl who would giggle for a man.

"I'd love to," she breathed.

He tore himself away from her, and he took her hand. Not her arm, like he used to do, but her hand. In a couple-like manner. He dragged her with him outside, after ordering Winky to prepare for dinner. Then he apparated them to Diagon Alley, where it was surprisingly calm. Some witches and wizard who were doing their shopping for supplies, robes and other necessities were around, but there were no children at this time.

"A dress, right?" Hermione asked Barty, who was still holding a tight grip on her hand. "A fancy one?"

"As fancy as you want."

"Is it for a special occasion?"

"Hmm, you need to impress when you want to walk next to me. You get to be one of the most powerful women in the country, so you need to look like one."

"We can try Madam Malkin?" Hermione offered.

"Nah, too casual. There's a smaller shop over there," he pointed at a building a couple of meters from where they were standing. "I don't like the shopkeeper, but those dresses he sells… Quite beautiful."

"Can you try not to murder him?" Hermione asked, not feeling comfortable at the thought of Barty not liking someone.

"Well… If he is smart enough not to force me to…"

"I'm sure he won't be difficult. If he knows who you are, he wouldn't dare being difficult. Alright, let's go," Hermione said confidently, now being the one to drag Barty with her.

The shop was indeed small, though it was larger than Hermione expected. There was one other witch browsing through clothes, and one wizard standing behind the counter looking rather grumpy. It was an older man, with grey hair and a very posh suit. This was quite a niche shop, no wonder that Hermione hadn't noticed it before. She would never have had the money for any of these clothes.

"I used to come here as a kid," Barty whispered in Hermione's ear. "Had to, my father wouldn't let me walk around in lesser clothes."

"Is that why you don't like the man? You just don't like the memories of the shop," Hermione said quietly.

"I'd rather get my own clothes elsewhere these days… _But_ , now that I have the opportunity, let's see if Mr. George Trevor still remembers me. While you pick out a dress."

The man behind the counter had not even looked up once when his new customers had come in. He was reading a magazine and apparently that was more important to him than being customer friendly. Until Barty knocked on the counter in order to get his attention. The old man looked up slowly, but his face was still full of disinterest and boredom.

"Ah, if it isn't the young Crouch. Long time not seen. Joined the Death Eaters, have you?" Mr. Trevor said, still not really showing any form of emotion.

"More than that, in fact. I am in control of Hogwarts now, and I will get the control over land as soon as the Dark Lord has decided which parts. Harry Potter is dead, you know?" Barty replied smugly. "But I am not here for small talk. I'd rather not be here at all. I am looking for a dress for my girl here, so maybe you could help us."

The man's eyes left Barty's, and he looked at Hermione.

"That's the Muggle born who was lost," he observed.

"And what if I am?" Hermione now interrupted, which clearly amused Barty. "Just help us find a nice dress so that we can leave. I suggest you don't try his patience."

"Fine," Mr. Trevor growled.

When he walked around his counter, however, Barty stopped him with his arm.

"Respect and obedience are two _very_ valuable traits. When we ask you to do something, you will do it _immediately_. And address us properly."

"You may have important positions and all, but you are not my boss. _Sir_ ," Mr. Trevor said mockingly, pushing Barty's arm away and walking away into the show.

"Oooh," Hermione said, taking Barty's hand in order to soothe him. "Let's go to another shop. You don't want to be here, and neither do I."

"No, no, we are not leaving without your dress," Barty growled, his eyes fixed on the back of Mr. Trevor's head who was now browsing through some dresses. "You hate him too, don't you? Let's teach him a lesson."

He drew his wand and took three large steps towards the shop owner, pressing his wand against the old man's neck.

"You're still a little spoiled brat, aren't you?" the man snapped, turning around quickly, his own wand now pressing against Barty's throat.

The witch who had been shopping before now shrieked and she dropped her bag, she was paralyzed completely. Hermione noticed that, and she walked over to the trembling witch.

"It's okay. No harm will come to you," she whispered to her, watching the scene in front of them intently as well.

"Drop your wand," Barty ordered, hatred seeping through his voice. " _Now_."

" _EXPELLIARMUS!_ " Mr. Trevor shouted, and Barty was blown of his feet, hitting the wall. "Leave my shop, Crouch. And don't you try come back with your Death Eater friends, I have too many loyal customers amongst them."

But Barty was not someone who would accept a defeat. And that was where Mr. Trevor made his mistake. Because he lowered his wand, thinking that he had won, thinking that Barty was nothing different from the young boy who used to be dragged inside the shop by his father. He grabbed his wand back and shot a curse at the old man, who was now the one who hit the floor. Barty quickly rushed over towards where the man was laying, and he stomped on his right wrist, probably breaking it, and he picked up the wand from the numb hand.

"You won't be needing this anymore," he growled, snapping the wand in two. "Oh, I am getting so tired of people not listening to me when I warn them… It gets quite boring, you know, torturing people every single time."

"Then why bother," Mr. Trever said.

"Because it is the only way to make people like you bow before me. Merlin, you have never been tortured, have you? You are not afraid, not at all… Well, that will change," Barty hissed. " _Crucio!_ "

The man started convulsing and screaming. It was the first time Hermione saw him showing any emotion really. She couldn't feel any pity anymore, the man had brought this upon himself. He should have listened instead of provoking a Death Eater. Maybe she would have tried to stop Barty a few months ago, but not anymore. She was more fascinated by how powerful Barty looked, and how strong he was. The woman standing next to her even started trembling more, almost collapsing against Hermione.

"Lesson learned?" Barty growled when he lifted the curse.

"Yes, yes… Please, no more, sir. I- I apologize. Please let me find you a dress. I-I mean for the lady."

The man tried to stand up despite his heavily trembling legs, but he did manage to walk. Barty now rested his eyes on the woman standing next to Hermione. Which Hermione noticed.

"She's fine. She's obedient," Hermione said quickly, before he would turn against the woman too.

"Is she?" Barty asked, still staring at the woman. "Fine, let her leave."

The woman burst out in tears and she ran out of the shop quickly.

"Is this something for you, ma'am?" Mr. Trevor asked, holding up a long navy blue dress.

"That one looks beautiful. I'll try it on," Hermione said, accepting the dress and disappearing to one of the fitting rooms.

It fit her really well. And it really made her feel beautiful. Before showing it to Barty, she put in her new earrings. When she stepped out of the fitting room, she saw Barty's face brighten up.

"You look amazing," he told her. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," Hermione smiled, it had been a long time since she had felt this good in her clothes.

"Then you may keep it on," Barty said, taking her hand again. "Come on, Winky has prepared dinner for us. Bye, Mr. Trevor! It has been a pleasure as always!"

At least Mr. Trevor wasn't stupid enough to ask for money for the dress, like Mr. Mulpepper did when Barty picked up his potion supplies and payed for it with his life. This was her life now, she could better get used to it. People would treat her like a lady, and she would only get the best clothes and the best food. She would even get the best jobs, she could be whatever she wanted now. Well, not everything, since the Dark Lord would never allow someone with her blood status as a Minister of Magic, but apart from that, she could be anything. As long as Barty would support her, she would be fine.


	39. Chapter 39

**So, I'm back! Are you all still alive? I don't hear anything from my followers, should I start to worry? :p**

 **Anyway, this story is going towards some reaaally dark stuff with Hermione. I think she is becoming just as twisted as the Death Eaters. I'm sorry, my mind is a fucked up place *grins evilly***

 **Enjoyyy**

 **X**

* * *

Hogwarts had changed a lot after Voldemort had won the war. Muggle Borns were still allowed to attend Hogwarts, but they had to 'earn' their wands and they were taught that they were inferior to Purebloods. Most of the Muggle Borns therefore still didn't have a wand, and the slightest cheeky remark from them could result in severe punishments. Hermione was thus far the only exception to the rule. The people who had been most loyal to Dumbledore and Harry had even left the school, McGonagall had fled Hogwarts, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Luna, Ginny… The rest of the Order was being hunted actively by the Death Eaters, and Hermione had heard only recently that Kingsley had been found and killed by Voldemort personally. Lupin, her old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and Tonks had also been found and killed by Bellatrix. And it would only be a matter of time before the rest would be found. The strange thing was, that Hermione wasn't as bothered as she used to be from hearing about the deaths of people she used to care about deeply. They almost didn't matter anymore. She had Barty, and she felt happy with him. He wasn't hurting her anymore, he was treating her like a queen.

Not everyone was treating her like royalty, however. Students would mock her whenever she would pass them, not showing her the slightest bit of respect. Even other Death Eaters, who were all guarding the castle permanently, in case supporters of Dumbledore would attack the school, would still call her names and make rude remarks when they saw her. Never when Barty could hear or see them, though, they were still not brave enough for that. She was only shown respect and deference when she was with Barty, something which annoyed her deeply. Hermione continuously felt the growing need to prove herself, to prove herself worthy of respect, even though she was not a Pureblood. Now she just felt like she was some kind of floozy, a no one. She had never felt the need to have other people bowing for her, or address her with 'ma'am', but now that she was in the center of attention, and seen with an important Death Eater, she felt that it was time that she too would prove herself. People should fear her too. People should bow before her. Although that was hard without a wand, which Barty still wouldn't give to her. It almost scared Hermione, how she had changed. And she wasn't even sure if she had changed for the better or for the worse. All she knew was that she loved Barty, and that she was loyal to him, and that she would make him proud. That was the least she could do for him.

Unfortunately, she was still quite vulnerable without her wand whenever she was alone. The year was almost ending, and still people would say terrible things to her. After dinner, Hermione was just strolling through the courtyard when she heard the most annoying voice she knew behind her.

"Granger!"

It was Pansy Parkinson, together with her two cronies, Zabini and Bulstrode.

"Leave me alone, Parkinson, you have no business here around this time," Hermione said, trying to sound convincing.

" _You_ have no business here _at all_ , Mudblood," Pansy grinned. "The fact that you are shagging Crouch doesn't mean you are suddenly better than us."

"I never implied that."

"You're just a little whore, aren't you?" Pansy taunted her even further.

"Shut up, or I'll…"

"You'll do what, little Mudblood? If we kill you, no one would know who did it and no one would care. And you can't defend yourself."

"Mr. Crouch would care," Hermione snapped, now starting to become angry as she clenched her fists.

"Do you see our Headmaster here? I don't think so. Besides, he would never stay with you. I know for a fact that the Dark Lord is starting breeding programs, to create more Purebloods. And since Crouch is a Pureblood… Well, he wouldn't keep you," Pansy snarled, while the other two Slytherins behind her just laughed stupidly.

"We're just helping him by doing this," Zabini grinned, taking out his wand.

"What- Put that away!" Hermione said angrily.

"Relax… We won't kill you. Yet. But we will if you dare to show your face here in Hogwarts again. So _run_ , pathetic Mudblood," Pansy snarled.

She really didn't want to give the three Slytherins the satisfaction, but with the wand pointed at her, she had no choice but to run. So she ran. She didn't leave the grounds, like they had ordered. On the contrary, she ran straight back to the castle, to Barty's office where she managed to get without being seen by anyone else. Barty was already there, as he had left the Great Hall straight after dinner to his study. When he saw her, panicked and panting, he stood up immediately.

"What happened? What's wrong? Did someone hurt you?" he asked her with concern.

At that point, Hermione started crying. Maybe out of relief that Barty was still caring for her, that he didn't push her away and that he was showing her actual concern, but she couldn't find back her tears.

"I- I- I am sorry," Hermione sobbed. "I- I don't w-want to be w-weak."

"You're not weak, I never said you are weak. Tell me what happened," Barty said again.

"Th-those Slytherins… They-they threatened me… K-kill me, they s-said, l-leave H-Hogwarts," Hermione continued, her mind not working properly anymore.

"What Slytherins? Come on now, love, calm down and tell me what happened. No one is going to hurt you here. Since when are you so upset about what people say to you? This is not like you," Barty said, putting her down on the couch.

Hermione took a deep breath, and she waited for her tears to disappear. Then she started.

"It's not what they said, it's just… I don't want to disappoint you. I don't want to be weak and useless. I hate that I am a Muggle Born, I really hate it."

"I'm asking you again. What. Happened," Barty tried again.

"Pansy Parkinson happened. With Blaise Zabini and Millicent Bulstrode. They threatened me. They told me that I have no place here, that I am not worth more than them. They said that I am only a pathetic whore, and that you would leave me for a Pureblood girl soon. They want me gone. If I don't leave the grounds, they will kill me, that's what they said," Hermione said, her hatred growing again.

"They don't have the guts to kill. Believe me. But what they called you… a _whore_?! And you let them?! You are my girlfriend, for Merlin's sake. How dare they?" Barty said through clenched teeth.

"WHAT ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO! YOU WOULDN'T GIVE ME A WAND!" Hermione now yelled furiously, pounding against Barty's chest, who immediately grabbed her wrists.

"Stop that," he growled.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered. "It's just… No one respects me, all those Death Eaters, students, they all mock me behind your back. And I never told you, afraid that you would hurt them."

"Don't you _want_ me to hurt them?"

Hermione thought long about that. Would that even solve anything? If Barty would hurt them, how would they then start to respect her?

"Do _you_ want to hurt them?" Barty now whispered in her ear, as if he was reading her mind.

"I-I am not sure. I am not evil, Barty," Hermione said.

"Don't underestimate the Dark side, darling. Everyone is drawn to it, even you. And I think… If you want to become powerful, then you should act like it. You should _exert_ power. I can help you… I'll give you a wand, and you can make me proud," he said, kissing her neck softly. "That is what you want, right, to make me proud?"

"I do…" Hermione said absentmindedly. "I want them to be afraid. I want them to fear me, like they fear you. I want to feel that."

"We can arrange that, my little witch," Barty breathed. "Tomorrow, at dinner. But for now… I think I will have my dessert."

With a grin, Hermione gave in when he pushed her back on the couch, feeling that she would finally be able to prove herself.

The next evening, Hermione walked with Barty downstairs, both excited and slightly nervous. She had never talked before during the dinners, she had always been quiet while she was eating her dinner, only occasionally talking to Barty whenever he would ask her something. But this was the first time she had a wand on her, and this was the first time she would finally show all those students, and the Death Eaters guarding the Great Hall, what she could do, what she was capable of.

Two guards opened the doors for the couple when they entered the Great Hall for dinner, the students standing up immediately. That was another change in Hogwarts; students were more disciplined now that Barty was Headmaster. Students were expected to have collective dinners, and they were not allowed to start eating before Barty had given them permission. And whenever Barty or Hermione would stand up, the rest of the Hall also had to jump to their feet.

When they sat down, the rest of the students and teachers also sat down. Barty gave the cue for the food to appear, and everyone started eating. Hermione could feel the presence of the wand against her body, her excitement growing with the minute.

"Barty, please," Hermione whined after the second course.

"Let's wait until the dessert," Barty proposed.

"No, let me do this now."

" _Hermione_ ," Barty hissed sternly. "When I am telling you to wait, you shall wait."

"But look at their faces, look at Parkinson, she is talking about me, I am sure about that. I want to make her pay," she hissed back, ignoring his orders.

Barty now glanced at the Slytherin table, and his eyes darkened visibly. His tongue flicked out of his mouth for a second, and Hermione knew that she had now made him angry too. And that was good. Because Pansy had seen Barty looking at her. Her face had just gone paler than a ghost. Suddenly, Barty stood up. And as a result, the entire school stood up, even though it was highly uncommon for Barty to interrupt the dinner like this.

"PARKINSON," he bellowed. "COME HERE, _NOW."_

The entire Great Hall went quiet now, no one even dared to say something. Everyone was holding their breath. When Pansy stopped in front of Barty, she made some sort of awkward bow for him, and she shot Hermione a dirty look, even though she probably knew what was coming.

"Bow for your lady," Barty ordered her, and she did. "Now, I think Miss Granger wants to tell you something."

"Oh, yes, I do," Hermione grinned as she stood up as well, addressing the entire school now. "Yesterday evening, I was hold up by Miss Parkinson and her two friends, Zabini and Bulstrode. And they dared to threaten me, and to call me things that I should not repeat here. But let it be known, I will _not_ take kindly on threats."

"Just for the record," Barty interrupted, "What did you call her, Miss Parkinson?"

"A-a whore, sir, because she is-"

"Louder, please," Barty ordered harshly, spitting fire with his eyes now.

"I called her a whore, sir!" Pansy said loudly, so that the whole Hall could hear her. "But only because-"

"Spare me your excuses, girl!" Barty shouted. "No one, I repeat, _no one_ , is allowed to disrespect my girl. She is under my protection, and she is _definitely_ not my whore. Would I allow a whore to sit next to me like this? She is your _lady,_ and if anyone as much as dares to disrespect her in any way, they will regret it, understood?"

There were only a few responses from the students to that. So he repeated himself.

"IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?"

"Yes, sir," it now sounded collectively.

"Good… as for you, Miss Parkinson. Your punishment is not in the hands of Miss Granger. So, my darling, what are you going to do to her?"

Several frightened faces were staring at Hermione at that moment, and Hermione took out her wand. People gasped when she did that, of course shocked that she, as a Muggle Born, was allowed to have a wand. Barty sat down in the meantime, leaning back in anticipation. It was now completely up to her, she could prove herself. And she was not going to disappoint Barty. She would show her power, she would never allow anyone else to make a fool out of her. Especially not Pansy, who had been bullying her for such a long time. She could finally make her pay for all those years of torture.

"Oh, I know _exactly_ what I am going to do to you," Hermione said to Pansy, who was just staring back at her with a look of disgust. "What were you going to do to me if you found that I hadn't left Hogwarts?"

Now Pansy looked worried, really worried.

"Y-you can't, I am a Pureblood. You wouldn't, not you. You wouldn't dare," Pansy said, sounding afraid.

So that was how it felt to be feared. That was how Barty must feel whenever he tortured someone. That was how it must feel to be a Death Eater. And it felt good.

"I wouldn't _dare_? I am a Gryffindor, and you think I wouldn't _dare_?" Hermione scoffed.

"Please, sir," Pansy now said to Barty, as if he would be interested in helping her out. "Sir, I am a Pureblood, you can't allow her to do this. I-I will do anything for you, anything. You can have me instead of her, please!"

Barty just raised his eyebrows and ignored her for the rest, making Pansy only look like a pathetic girl in front of the whole school. Then she dropped down on her knees, now in front of Hermione.

"Don't do this," she said again.

But Hermione had already made up her mind. She was determined now. So she raised her wand, and she uttered the words she had never believed to ever come out of her mouth.

" _Avada Kedavra!_ "

A flesh of green lightened the entire Great Hall, leaving Pansy dead on the floor, before Hermione's feet, the wand that had caused the death still in Hermione's hand.


	40. Chapter 40

The Great Hall was eerily silent for a couple of seconds, until the students started whispering to each other. Whether they were whispering out of shock, fear, or awe because of the fact that Hermione, the best friend of Harry Potter, had just killed someone wasn't clear. But when the whispers evolved into louder talking, Barty decided that it was enough. He stood up, and he shouted through the Great Hall loudly.

"SILENCE!"

There was immediate silence, and now Hermione saw that most of the faces of the students were terrified. At least she got the desired effect out of them, at least they would respect her from now on. Now that she had a wand in her possession, and now that she had showed everyone what she could do with it, everyone would now respect her. And if that respect came from fear, then so be it.

"Let this be a warning for all of you," Barty growled, his dark eyes scanning the Great Hall as if he was looking for students who dared to open their mouths in protest. "Bulstrode, Zabini, over here. _Now_."

Hermione glanced quickly at Barty, whose face was full of power and determination. It was almost inspiring to see. She quickly looked back at the Slytherin table, where Bulstrode and Zabini were still debating on whether they would run and hide or walk over to their Headmaster as they had been ordered to do.

"I said… _Now_ ," Barty repeated himself, sounding very dangerous.

That made them hasten towards the teachers' table, though they looked really afraid. They refused to look at Pansy's dead body when they passed it, but they didn't want to look at Barty or Hermione either. So they just kept staring at their feet and dropped down on their knees as soon as they had reached the table.

"The honor is yours, my darling. What would you like to do with them?" Barty whispered in her ear. "Be original, give me a little show…"

Hermione smiled up at him, a smile which he returned affectionately. Or at least, Hermione thought it was affection. She _knew_ it was. But when she looked back at the two kneeling Slytherins, she couldn't find the same hatred she felt when she had killed Pansy. These Slytherins hadn't threatened her directly, they were just following Pansy. They were practically innocent. And they were looking so afraid, so scared, she could never hurt them for no reason. Even though she didn't like them.

"What do you have to say for yourselves?" Hermione asked the two, looking down at them.

"I-I am sorry, ma'am. I will respect and obey you from now on. Please forgive me," Zabini started.

"And what about you, Bulstrode?" Hermione asked the other one.

"Forgive me for my naivety, ma'am, it won't happen again," she said quietly.

"Good… Very good. I am willing to grant you a second chance, seeing you were not acting against me but merely following miss Parkinson."

"Thank you, ma'am," Zabini said relieved, looking up in relief.

"Don't ruin your second chance, because it will be your last. You should be very grateful that it is me who decides over your lives this moment, because any Death Eater would not have shown mercy," Hermione continued, only giving Zabini and Bulstrode a stern look.

"Thank you for your mercy, ma'am," Bulstrode said relieved, though Hermione noticed that she also glanced nervously at Barty, as if she expected him to jump in and still kill them.

"Stand up and go back to your places," Hermione ordered them, and they jumped up quickly and left the table to run back to the Slytherin table.

When Hermione sat down, Barty followed her example, though he did not look quite pleased.

"What?" Hermione said.

"I thought I told you to give me a show, not to send them away again," he explained, but he didn't sound angry, luckily.

"Isn't one killing enough for you? She deserved it, those other two didn't do anything to me. So they get to live," Hermione shrugged.

"You didn't even _hurt_ them," Barty hissed.

"Should I have? Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't enjoy causing others pain just for fun. I am not a Death Eater."

"Do you want to be?"

"No."

Barty chuckled softly.

"Don't be like that, love. No need to be so edgy. Come on, give me a kiss," he said softly, leaning in.

Even though she was fully aware that they were in the Great Hall and most students were still looking at them instead of their desserts, she gave in. For a small moment, Hermione even deepened the kiss, until Barty pulled away, probably not wanting to be carried away too much.

"You have no idea how much you turned me on this evening, _no idea_ ," he growled against her lips. "Finish your pudding so that I can take you upstairs."

"How about I take _you_ upstairs," Hermione whispers against his earlobe.

"Oh, you are such a tease… Screw that dessert, we're leaving," he said, grabbing her hand and standing up.

Again, the entire Great Hall stood up as well, but Barty gestured that they could sit down again. They walked down the Hall together, until they reached the large doors that were opened for them by the two guards. Hermione noticed how Barty quickened his pace, until she had to run to keep up with him. When they finally entered the study, Barty slammed the door shut behind them and pushed Hermione against the wall instantly.

"All that power you've showed out there… It was so hot," he growled while kissing her neck roughly.

"And it felt good," Hermione gasped when Barty started biting her neck softly. "Is that how you feel every time? Is that what power feels like?"

"Hmm, I suppose," he growled in return.

Hermione grabbed Barty's shoulders and pushed him against the wall now, making her the one in control now.

"I want you to tell me something," Hermione said now more seriously, her lips close to his and their noses almost touching. "I want you to tell me what you did to Ron."

Barty only chuckled.

"You don't want to know. You wouldn't-"

"-be able to cope?" Hermione finished for him. "I want to know. I _can_ cope. And I want to know how far your jealous side takes you…"

"Why?" Barty's smile grew wider. "Does it turn you on, my little witch?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Hermione blushed, starting on the buttons of his waistcoat.

"Alright then, if my little Hermione thinks she can handle it… Then so be it," he growled as he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her up only to lay her down on the couch. "I have never used my wand…" he started, while unzipping her dress gently. "I took a knife…" he kissed her neck, "I cut off his fingers so he would never touch you again…" he now bit her neck again, "then I cut off his toes so he could never walk to you again…" he continued with kissing her breasts, "I cut out his eyes, so he could never see your beauty again…" he now impatiently tore off the rest of her dress, "and I cut off his cock, so he could never make love to you again."

"So- so you let him live?" Hermione asked quietly, half shocked and half amazed at the things he would do for her.

"I gave him a chance, another one, because his death would hurt you," Barty said. "And I don't want to hurt you. Not anymore."

Hermione felt the goosebumps on her arm when he said that, but she didn't say anything in return. She wanted to let him finish.

"He could live, recover at St Mungo's, be a refugee again. If he would swear to me that he didn't love you anymore. If he would admit to me that you are mine," he said, while unzipping his own trousers now and pulling his shirt over his head. "But he refused."

A short silence followed, so Hermione encouraged him softly, forcing him to look her in the eyes by cupping his head with both her hands.

"And?"

"I stabbed his heart, to make sure he could never love you again with it," Barty growled darkly. "And I will do the same things to every man who would lay as much as a finger on you."

Hermione was quiet now, completely quiet. Though she didn't see him as a dangerous murderer right now, he was being protective and extremely jealous. He was obsessed with her. His methods were rather extreme, but he was only protecting her. Even though she had never needed protection when it came to Ron, he was her friend. Not that Barty would ever see it that way, anyone from the male sex who looked at her was in serious danger.

"Does that scare you?" Barty growled in her ear, giving her goosebumps.

"I'm not scared of you anymore. And even though I do not approve of what you did… to my best friend… I love you for being so protective," Hermione said, knowing that it was no use getting angry over the fact that he had murdered Ron. She wouldn't win the argument, and now that she was winning his trust and building up a working relationship between them, she didn't want to ruin it. Especially not now. Now that she would need him more than ever. Now that he had to show her how much he really cared about her. "It's good to know, and important, too."

"Why?" Barty said hoarsely, stopping with trying to undo her bra.

"Because… I need to tell you something," Hermione whispered, trying to be as careful as possible with breaking him the news.

"Then do it, because I am not going to hold back any longer, little witch," Barty responded, lust burning in his darkened eyes.

"Barty, I'm pregnant," she said after having taken a deep breath.

Now he stopped completely with touching her, and he sat up straight, his eyes widening slightly. He stared at her almost coldly.

"Who is the father?" he asked eventually, his voice almost a whisper.

"What- _you_ are, obviously," Hermione answered with a nervous laugh.

"LIAR!" he suddenly shouted, jumping from the couch, running his hands through his hair furiously, messing it up completely. His tongue was flicking out of his mouth frantically, which made him look really scary. "I've always used protection. It can't have been me," he said more to himself than to Hermione.

"Well, then your protection didn't work," Hermione shrugged, though she did cower back slightly at the sight of him.

But it was as if he wasn't listening to her, he seemed to be in some sort of trance. When he looked Hermione in the eyes again, she was shocked to see his insane and wild eyes that had been loving and full of lust only a minute ago. She had grown more used to his mood swings, but this was extreme.

"Have I given you too much freedom? Have you been screwing someone else the moment I allowed you to walk freely around the castle? Someone younger, someone _better_? What is it that I don't have?" he spat with a voice full of hatred and jealousy. "Give me the name of that man, and I _swear_ , I'll do worse than I did to your little ginger friend. No one can take you away from me, _no one_. He will feel my anger. And I will lock you up again, since freedom isn't working for you…" leaning in closely, he added, "and I will kill the baby."

Now Hermione jumped up from the couch as well, her hands automatically covering her belly as if she could protect the baby that way.

" _No_ , I don't want to hear you saying things like that. You are talking about murdering a baby, _my_ baby," Hermione hissed with fire in her eyes.

"I've done worse than killing baby's, darling," Barty growled, the anger in his eyes never leaving.

Not wanting to think too much about that sentence, which made her wonder what could possibly be worse than killing an innocent baby for no reason other than jealousy, Hermione bravely took a step closer to him.

"You are completely overreacting. The child is _yours_ , I know it. And it hurts me that you don't trust me enough to believe me. It hurts me that you actually think that I am having sex with other men behind your back. You are the father of the child that is growing inside me," she said, trying to stand her ground. Because that was the only thing that worked with him, she couldn't show him any weakness now.

"Maybe they obliviated you…" Barty now said.

"Now you are being paranoid," Hermione countered, watching as insanity took over Barty.

"It is possible," he hissed, walking over to her and grabbing her throat tightly. "You are mine, mine alone, no one can touch you, no one. _Say it_. Say that you are mine. Promise me that this child is mine."

"I- I promise! The child is yours, and so am I… Barty… You're choking me," Hermione coughed.

Luckily, he let her go. But then he started pacing the room nervously.

"I hope you are right. I hope you are. I need to be certain, I need to know… Because if someone hurt you, I need to know… And I will hurt them, I will hurt them real bad… And I will make them an example for everyone else. I will protect you, Hermione, you know that, right? And your baby, I will protect _our_ baby."

"I know you will, I am glad you believe me," Hermione said, slightly relieved, gaining courage to walk over to him again to touch him, to comfort him, to calm him down again.

"I NEED TO BE CERTAIN!" he yelled.

"Then give me a test, and I'll prove it to you. Or test me on Obliviate charms, break them, if you must. If that will convince you…" Hermione said.

"I will get you a test from the hospital wing tomorrow. First thing."

"Do you want another child?" Hermione now asked, still careful around him, though she now did place her hand on his lower arm in order to stroke it soothingly.

"I do," he answered. "I do. And I think, that a child from us will turn out to be a very powerful addition to the Magical World."

Hermione smiled up at him, now stroking his cheek gently, which made his expression soften instantly.

"Do you know what I think?" Hermione said.

"That we should continue what we started?" Barty offered, a playful grin forming on his face. He then leaned down and softly bit her ear before whispering, "because I wasn't done with you yet… Far from…"

"You read my mind," Hermione smiled, capturing his lips with her and wrapping her arms tightly around him.


End file.
